Habitz v. Wabash Railroad

135 N.W. 827, 170 Mich. 71, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 792
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 3, 1912
DocketDocket No. 13
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 135 N.W. 827 (Habitz v. Wabash Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Habitz v. Wabash Railroad, 135 N.W. 827, 170 Mich. 71, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 792 (Mich. 1912).

Opinion

Blair, J.

The action below was brought by Anna Habitz, as administratrix of her husband, Ferdinand Habitz, against the defendant company to recover damages for injuries received by deceased while working in the railway yard of defendant near Detroit, known as the Oakwood yards, on the 4th day of August, 191Ó, which resulted in his death a few days later. The action is brought under Act No. 104 of the Public Acts of 1909.

Deceased was an inspector in the employ of defendant. It was part of his duty to assist in inspecting outbound freight trains to see that the air brakes were working properly, the connections properly made, etc. There were three men employed in this work at the time of the accident — the deceased, his brother, Adolph Habitz, and August Wichman. Wichman was the foreman of the inspectors. The accident occurred in the early morning of August 4th. There was no eyewitness of the accident.

The declaration, after setting forth at some length the duties of defendant to decedent, states the cause of action as follows:

“By reason whereof, on the said 4th day of August, A. D. 1910, while plaintiff’s intestate was engaged as an [73]*73oiler oiling a car in defendant’s yards, and while he was in the exercise of due care and caution and free from negligence on his part, and while he had been in defendant’s employ less than 20 hours, and while the defendant was guilty of neglect, as above set forth, a certain train crew, operating an engine and cars, carelessly, negligently, and recklessly caused the same to be propelled at a rapid rate of speed to and against the car which plaintiff’s intestate was engaged in oiling, without giving any warning whatsoever to him, causing a violent collision, as a result of which plaintiff’s intestate’s left foot was crushed, and he was otherwise greatly injured, causing her said intestate to suffer intense and excruciating pain, and causing his death to result on the 8th day of August thereafter.”

At the trial, however, this claim was abandoned, and the case was based on the claim that at the time he was hurt deceased was engaged in inspecting a certain outbound freight train standing on a track, known as No. 1 track; and that while so engaged the train was started on a signal given by Wichman, the foreman, who was careless in not assuring himself that Habitz was not under or between the cars. And it was on this theory that the case was submitted to the jury. Plaintiff recovered verdict and judgment for $6,000.

Defendant asks for a reversal of the judgment upon the following grounds:

“ (1) The evidence does not warrant the verdict. This for the reasons: (a) There is no evidence that deceased was run over at the spot where he was found. On the contrary, the undisputed evidence shows that he was hurt at another place entirely. (6) There is no evidence fairly tending to charge Wichman with negligence, (c) There is a complete variance between the declaration and the proofs.
“ (2) The court erred in instructing the jury on the measure of damages, as requested by the plaintiff.
“(3) During his closing argument to the jury, Mr. Dohany made the following statement:
*' ‘Mr. Dohany: They know that no trains moved on track 6 that night. They have the records and the train crew, who know whether the trains came in here; and they have the records to show that trains come and are moved on different tracks, and if [74]*74trains were moved on track 6 that night between 9 o’clock and 4 o’clock. With all of their resources, they are able to produce testimony to refute the testimony that we have given tending to show that no trains were moved on that track that night.’ ”

1. (a) The testimony on behalf of plaintiff tends to show that, a half hour or so before daylight on August 4th, the deceased, Ferdinand, came to the foreman’s-shanty after the crew had inspected the Buffalo train, and inquired what they were to do next, to which the foreman replied that they would eat their lunch, and then all three-go out and inspect a freight train of some 80 cars standing on No. 1 track, which was the track immediately north of the passenger track; that Ferdinand then went out, taking his lantern and an air hose, ostensibly to eat his lunch in the oilhouse; that some 10 or 15 minutes later the foreman and Adolph went out to inspect the train;, that it was getting daylight when they started, and they looked around for Ferdinand, but did not see him; that-the foreman said he thought he was on the south side of the train, and he and Adolph went down the north side, the brakeman walking along ahead of them on the same side; that it was customary to inspect both sides of the train; that it took about 25 minutes to make the inspection, and they did not,see Ferdinand during that time; that when they got to the caboose Adolph—

“Looked over and asked him if he saw Ferdinand, and he said, ‘No.’ He said he thought he was on the other side, and when we got out to the end I told Wichman I did not see Ferdinand. I said-, ‘ I cannot see anybody,’ and he gave the high-ball, and the train pulled out. * * * After we got in the shanty, we started out to look for Ferdinand. I found him. He was between No. 1 and the passenger track. No. 1 is the track upon which the switch local was standing. * * * When I first saw my brother, he was lying down with his head to the- passenger track, to the south. His feet were to the north, to No. 1 track. I saw him lying there and pulled him back, so that his body was between the tracks, so I thought he would not get hurt any more.”

The foreman testified:

[75]*75“Q. What did you call the men who were working under you ?
“A. My partner is the inspector, and the other we called — the one that got hurt was the oiler.
“Q. Both had to look over the air hose ?
“A. Yes.
“Q. Before you let the train go, whose business is it to see that the oiler and inspector are out of the way ?
“A. My business.”

The foreman did not go over on the south side of the train at all before giving the signal. The point where Ferdinand lay was 25 or 30 car lengths east of the foreman’s shanty, and a freight car is from 34 to 45 feet in length. The defendant put in testimony tending to show that soon after the accident Ferdinand’s lantern and air hose were found, by an employé named Puhchili, some six car lengths east of the shanty, between tracks 6 and 7, some 80 or 90 feet north of track No. 1. The man who found the lantern and hose did not notice any blood or other marks,at the place. The witness Miller testified that he saw Puhchili pick up the lantern and hose, and that near the spot there was a small spot of blood—

“On the corner of the rail, the outside corner. The spot of blood was not big. It was about two inches long, run down the edge of the rail. It was about half an inch wide. That is all the blood that I saw.”

Another witness testified to having his attention called to the blood spot by Miller, and he testified that there was vomit there.

The testimony of Miller and Puhchili is in serious conflict. Miller testified:

“Q.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
135 N.W. 827, 170 Mich. 71, 1912 Mich. LEXIS 792, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/habitz-v-wabash-railroad-mich-1912.