Heddles v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.

46 N.W. 115, 77 Wis. 228, 20 Am. St. Rep. 106, 1890 Wisc. LEXIS 198
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 21, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 46 N.W. 115 (Heddles v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heddles v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co., 46 N.W. 115, 77 Wis. 228, 20 Am. St. Rep. 106, 1890 Wisc. LEXIS 198 (Wis. 1890).

Opinion

Taylob, J.

This is an appeal from tbe judgment on a second trial of this action. On tbe first trial an appeal was [230]*230taken by the defendant, and the judgment was reversed for reasons stated in the opinion of this court. See case reported in 74 Wis. 239. Upon the former appeal it was held by this court that there was sufficient evidence in the' case to support the verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and the judgment was reversed for errors occurring on the trial and because the damages awarded were, as we thought, excessive. On the second trial, there was the same evidence given on the part of the plaintiff as was given on the first trial, and some additional evidence was produced which materially strengthened the case upon the merits in favor of the plaintiff; and the learned counsel for the appellant do not contend on this appeal that there is not sufficient evidence to sustain a verdict for the plaintiff, but they allege that certain rulings of the court on the trial were erroneous, and that such errors were prejudicial to the appellant.

The first error assigned is the instructions of the court to the jury on the question of damages. The instruction objected to reads as follows: “ The amount of the damages which you wifi, assess is left to your judgment and discretion, considering the proper elements of damages, which are as follows: Adequate compensation for all of the physical and mental pain and suffering which the plaintiff suf- ■ fered at the time of the accident, which he has suffered since that time, and which he is reasonably certain to suffer in the future, by reason of his injuries; also for the mortification and anguish of mind which he has suffered, and will in the future suffer, by reason of the mutilation of his body and the fact that he may become an object of curiosity or ridicule among his fellows.” The learned counsel for the appellant take exceptions to the use of the words, for the mortification and anguish of mind which he has suffered, and will suffer in the future, by reason of the mutilation of his body and the fact that he may become an object of curiosity or ridicule among his fellows.”

[231]*231It is urged that these words convey to the jury an idea different from that conveyed by the words. “ mental pain and suffering” which resulted from the injury. We think the learned judge only used the expressions excepted to as indicative of the causes from which the mental pain and suffering would be likely to arise from the injury received. There can be no doubt that the loss of the plaintiff’s limbs would naturally cause mortification and anguish on the part of the plaintiff, and it is also quite certain that he would be to a considerable extent an object of curiosity, and to the thoughtless and unfeeling an object of ridicule. We think there was no error in the instructions excepted to. Eor authorities sustaining the instructions, see the following cases cited by the counsel for the respondent: Wilson v. Young, 31 Wis. 574; Craker v. C. & N. W. R. Co. 36 Wis. 657, 677; Power v. Harlow, 57 Mich. 107; The Oriflamme, 3 Sawy. 397; Atlanta, & R. A. L. R. Co. v. Wood, 48 Ga. 565; Toledo, W. & W. R. Co. v. Baddeley, 54 Ill. 19; Ballou v. Farnum, 11 Allen, 73; Western & A. R. R. Co. v. Young, 81 Ga. 397; McMahon v. N. C. R. Co. 39 Md. 438.

The appellant also excepted to the refusal of the court to give the following instruction: “The engineer was not bound to stop his train or resort to unusual precautions the moment he saw the plaintiff, merely because he was approaching the track. It being broad daylight, and his engine plainly visible, and the beh ringing, he had the right to assume in the first instance that the plaintiff would stop in time to escape injury. He had the right to run on until he had evidence that the boy approaching the track was heedless of danger. When he had such notice, he was bound to use all reasonable care and diligence to avoid it.” Instead of giving this instruction, the learned judge instructed the jury as follows: The mere fact that the traveler is approaching the track is not, of itself alone, sufficient [232]*232to require tbe engineer to give an alarm or stop bis engine, especially where it is in broad daylight, the engine plainly visible, the engine bell ringing, the traveler is an adult in apparent possession of his senses and looking in the direction of the train. In such a case, the engineer would have the right to assume that the traveler would stop; but he cannot rest on such an assumption so long as to allow his engine to reach a point where it will become impossible for him to control his train or give warning in time to prevent injury to the traveler, supposing the traveler to continue in his course.” We think the instruction as given by the court was sufficiently favorable to the defendant, and that the instruction asked was properly refused because it did not fairly present the case to the jury as it was made by the evidence in the case.

The third exception is taken to the following testimony given by the witness Macloon. Macloon was examined as. to a conversation he had with the engineer, Roberts, shortly after the accident, and he testified, under objection, that Roberts in that conversation said: “ There is no use talking about six miles an hour. We couldn’t do the work if we ran only six miles an hour, and we have to run faster.” Roberts had been questioned as to this alleged statement, and he said he had no recollection of making such statement or of having any such conversation. Macloon was called on rebuttal, and asked about such conversation for the purpose of discrediting the evidence of Roberts as to the speed of the train. As this evidence was offered, not as original evidence for the plaintiff as to the speed of the train, but for the purpose of discrediting the evidence of Roberts on that question, we think it was properly admitted. It was substantially so determined on the former hearing in this case. See 14 Wis. 252.

The fourth exception to the evidence offered by the plaintiff, showing that there was no sign-board at the cross[233]*233ing where tbe accident happened, was not well taken, as •was decided by this court in the case of Winstanley v. C., M. & St. P. R. Co. 72 Wis. 375, 380.

The fifth exception was to the introduction of the city-ordinance forbidding the blowing of the engine whistle “ within the city limits, except as a necessary signal or to prevent accidents.” We think therfe was no error in admitting this ordinance. It could not prejudice the defendant if the circumstances were such as did not render it necessary to blow the whistle to prevent an accident, and if, under all the circumstances, the jury should be of the opinion that the whistle should have been blown to prevent the accident, the ordinance did not forbid its being blown. As said in the former opinion, “ The ordinance clearly contemplated that the whistle might be sounded whenever it should become necessary as a signal or to prevent accidents.” We are unable to see how the admitting of this ordinance in evidence could have prejudiced the defendant.

The sixth exception is to a question asked of Elizabeth Spence, a witness for the plaintiff, who had testified that she had been in attendance upon the plaintiff for three or four weeks after he was injured. She said she “ was with him the first night after the injury. He suffered very much.

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Bluebook (online)
46 N.W. 115, 77 Wis. 228, 20 Am. St. Rep. 106, 1890 Wisc. LEXIS 198, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heddles-v-chicago-northwestern-railway-co-wis-1890.