Hanks v. Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Ry. Co.

62 So. 2d 139, 1952 La. App. LEXIS 780
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 10, 1952
DocketNo. 7838
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 62 So. 2d 139 (Hanks v. Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hanks v. Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Ry. Co., 62 So. 2d 139, 1952 La. App. LEXIS 780 (La. Ct. App. 1952).

Opinion

HARDY, Judge..

This is a suit in which plaintiffs, husband and wife, claim recovery for property damages and expenditures by the husband and [140]*140physical injuries sustained by the wife in an automobile-train collision in the City of Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. After trial there was judgment in favor of defendant rejecting plaintiffs' demands, from which plaintiffs have appealed.

The accident occurred about or shortly before 8:30 A. M. on the morning of February 14, 1951, at the intersection of Adams and North Sixth Street in the City of Monroe. Plaintiff, Mrs. Hanks, driving a Buick Sedan belonging to the community between herself and her husband, accompanied by her two children and her mother, en route to take the older child to school, was driving her car south on North Sixth Street, which is designated as a privileged or right-of-way street under appropriate ordinance of the City of Monroe. At the intersection of Adams Street defendant railroad maintains two spur or switch tracks which are located on Adams Street and which cross North Sixth Street in an east and west direction. The train consisted of some four or five boxcars which were being pushed in a westerly direction by a diesel locomotive unit along the northernmost track, in the process of switching operations. Mrs. Hanks drove her car upon the track immediately in the path of the lead boxcar, without observing its approach, and her car was struck full on the left or east side thereof. The train before being brought to a complete stop pushed the Hanks’ automobile some 15 feet to the west where it collided with a telephone or utility pole situated immediately adjacent to the curb line of the street. As the result of this collision the Hanks’ car sustained substantial damage and Mrs. Hanks allegedly suffered the injuries for which she here claims compensation.

At the time of the accident both the automobile and the train were moving at a moderate rate of speed, that of the car being something in the neighborhood of 20 miles per hour and that of the train, according to various estimates, somewhere between 4 and 11 miles per hour. At the northeast corner of the intersection stands a building which was at the time occupied and used by a “drive-in” cafe and which structure unquestionably obstructs, to some degree, a view of defendant’s trains to the east, on the part of drivers of vehicles proceeding south on North Sixth Street. However, we note' that the building is some 30 feet, more or less, to the north of the spur track of the defendant which is involved in this accident.

Plaintiff’s specifications of negligence as against defendant’s employees are set forth in allegations that the freight car was being backed into the intersection of North Sixth Street silently and quietly without signals, warning bells or lights; without any acting or regular flagmen, and, generally, without any warning whatsoever of its approach, thereby endangering those attempting to traverse North Sixth Street. On the basis of these allegations of negligence plaintiff concludes that defendant’s operation was in wanton disregard-of the safety of the traveling public. It is further noted in connection with plaintiffs’ petition that they allege the maintenance by defendant of what amounted to a “death trap”. However, no effort appears to have been made to develop this specific charge nor is there any insistence upon such contention on behalf of plaintiffs.

Defendant denies any negligence and affirms the contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, Mrs. Hanks.

Distinguished counsel for plaintiffs in brief has well delineated the question before us in these words:

. “It is the burden of appellant’s case that the railroad was grossly negligent in its treatment of that backward switching movement and in its failure properly to protect that crossing.”

Trial of the case developed some violent and irreconcilable conflicts of testimony, particularly with respect to the point as to whether adequate precautions were taken by the defendant railway company. We advert to a summary of the testimony of Mrs. Hanks, the driver of the automobile involved. According to the version of the accident as given by Mrs. Hanks, she was driving at a moderate rate of speed, some 20 miles per hour, more or less, and as she approached the railway crossing the driver of a car which was immediately preceding her vehicle signaled for a left turn or stop, [141]*141and, almost immediately", made a left turn from North Sixth Street to the east on Adams Street. Mrs. Hanks further testified that she brought her car to a complete stop at a point which she estimated to be approximately one car length north of the railway track; thereafter she proceeded upon the track, and was struck by the boxcar. The witness further testified that at the time she was looking straight ahead; that there were no flagmen' present at the crossing, and that s.he did not see the boxcar until it struck her automobile.

Proceeding to a determination of the ■questions of fact with relation to the ■charges of negligence made against defendant, we find first that the warning bell on the diesel engine was ringing during the entire time the train was engaged in the backing operation. This fact we think is conclusively established by the testimony •of the engineer, members of the train crew and some outsiders, disinterested witnesses. As against the existence of this fact we accept the testimony of Mrs. Hanks to the ■effect that she did not hear any bell, and we further take into consideration the point that the position of the bell was some 150 to 175 feet removed from the end of the train which 'actually struck the Hanks automobile. No attempt was made to establish the existence or operation of any other sound warning device or signal. And it is further evident that there were no extra crossing precautions in the nature of electric signals, nor lights or .bells, a permanent flagman, nor any sort of barricade designed to be lowered in warning of the approach of a train. In this connection it is pertinent to observe that the crossing is not occupied by main line tracks but is a simple grade crossing traversed by the spur or switch tracks hereinabove described, which are •used irregularly, according to the testimony, •sometimes several times a day and at other times not at all for several days. But the crossing is marked by a standard permanent railroad crossing warning post, its existence is known, and, according to her testimony, was known by Mrs. Hanks who was accustomed to traversing this particular street.

Another fact which bears upon the allegation of negligence on the part of defendant has to do with the contention that the situs of the accident is in fact a blind crossing by reason of the obstruction to the view resulting from the existence of the building on the northeast corner thereof. In this connection we have found very helpful the testimony of the civil engineer and the photographer and the exhibits prepared by these witnesses on behalf of the defendant. In her course along North Sixth Street Mrs. Hanks was driving in approximately the center of the street in order to clear cars parked on the west side thereof. North Sixth Street is some 27 feet in width from curb to curb at the point and it is rather accurately established that Mrs. Hanks’ position in her car as driver at the time must have been approximately 1 foot to the right or west of the center line of the street.

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Bluebook (online)
62 So. 2d 139, 1952 La. App. LEXIS 780, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanks-v-arkansas-louisiana-missouri-ry-co-lactapp-1952.