Henderson v. Lancaster

2 La. App. 680, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 234
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 6, 1925
DocketNo. 2175
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2 La. App. 680 (Henderson v. Lancaster) 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
Henderson v. Lancaster, 2 La. App. 680, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 234 (La. Ct. App. 1925).

Opinion

ODOM, J.

Plaintiff brings this suit to recover the sum of $3300.00, the alleged value of two pointer bird dogs run over and killed by a train on defendant’s railroad.

tie alleges that his dogs were property assessed and were worth the amount that he claims.

And he especially alleges in paragraph five of his petition:

“That the killing and death of his said two dogs by defendant’s said train was due solely and alone to the gross carelessness, negligence and want of care and skill of defendant’s agents, servants and employees operating said train.”

And it is further alleged, upon information and belief that the defendant was negligent also in allowing the carcass of a dead animal killed by its train to remain at its track or on its right of way at a point where his dogs were killed, and that the presence of his dogs on defendant’s track was due to said carcass having been left there.

And he further alleges “that defendant was further negligent and at fault in failing to stop its train or get it under control when said dogs were observed on its track or right of way; and that said defendant in addition to failing to stop its train or getting it under control in order to ayoid running over said dogs, failed to employ the usual means of frightening animals from its track”.

And in paragraph eight he alleges that he was guilty of no negligence or fault or want of care whatever and “that the killing of his said dogs was due solely and entirely to the negligence, want of care and skill of defendant, its servants, agents, representatives and employees”.

In answer, defendant denied any indebtedness whatever to plaintiff, and sets up the following defence in paragraph seven of the answer.

“Further answering, respondents show that even if it be proved that one of respondent’s trains ran over and killed said dogs, (which, however, is denied); and further; even if it be proven that the killing of said animals was negligently done, (which, however, is denied); and further, even if it be proven that said dogs were duly assessed to plaintiff as alleged in the 3rd paragraph of said petition, nevertheless plaintiff cannot recover herein and respondents are not liable herein, because of the fact that respondents are informed, believe, and therefore aver that said dogs were trespassers upon respondents tracks and right of way, and also because said plaintiff had paid no license tax on said dogs as required by law in intendment of the statutes of Louisiana.”

There was judgment in the lower court in favor of the plaintiff for $275.00 and costs, from which judgment defendants appealed.

OPINION.

The testimony shows beyond question that plaintiff’s dogs were killed by one of defendant’s trains. The dogs were both found on or near the railroad track, one with its head severed from its body, and parts of the mangled body of the other one were found along the track for some distance, and there were hair and blood on the rails.

We think, also, that plaintiff made out his case as the value of the dogs. The District Judge found the value of the two dogs to be $275.00, and while this may be high yet there is no evidence that they were not worth that amount and we cannot say that the District Judge erred on that point.

[682]*682The dogs were placed on the assessment roll at $150.00 each in March, 1922, and were killed in October of that year.

The real, and we think the only point at issue which calls for our attention, is whether the killing of the dogs due to the fault' and negligence of those in charge and operating the train which killed them:

We have quoted at length from plaintiff’s petition to show that he stresses the point in three different articles thereof that the killing of the dogs was due solely and exclusively to the gross fault and negligence of the agents and employees of defendants; and quote from defendant’s answer to show that the alleged carelessness and negligence of such employees is especially denied; and therefore the issue of negligence is especially raised in the case.

It will be conceded, of course, that if the defendants were not negligent or care-] less in the operation of the train which' killed plaintiff’s dogs there can be no recovery against them and that the burden of proving negligence, if any there was, is upon the plaintiff, unless under some special legislation he has been relieved of that burden.

So far as’ the record discloses no one saw the dogs killed and no one knows just when they were kiiled.

The téstimony shows that the track at the place where the dogs were killed is straight for at least a mile each way; that there was no grass or weeds or bushes •hanging over or near the track; and, in fact, nothing to obstruct the view of those operating the train.

Counsel says that if those in charge of the train had been looking they could have -seen the animals and could have stopped the train or could have frigthened them -away and he argues that the fact that they did not see them and stop the train or frighten them away shows that they were careless and negligent.

In his brief, after reviewing the above facts as to the condition of the track, he says: “Under the facts above outlined defendant was clearly negligent”.

We cannot agree with learned counsel on this point. Of course if the animals were on the track some, ti me before they were hit the operators of the train should have seen them. It was their duty and their business to see that which was on the track in front of the train and their failure to see is negligence. But the fact that these animals were struck and killed does not by any means prove that they were on the track long enough to enable the train crew to protect them. Dogs like those killed are remarkably fleet, agile animals, more so than cattle, horses, sheep, goats or swine, and it may well be that they got on the track so quickly and so near to the tr&in that it could not be stopped in time to save them. This was in the country where there were no crossings, so far as the record discloses, where those in charge of trains are permitted to operate them at full speed. It would be manifestly impossible to stop a fast train in time to save a dog which jumped on the track just ahead of it. The court cannot infer negligence merely and solely because these animals were run over and killed by a train.

Counsel says in brief.

“Knowledge of how these dogs met'their death was in the possession of the railroad company alone. Only its train crew knew the facts, and under the well established rules of evidence the failure of the railroad company to produce it would justify the. court in holding that on the facts disclosed by plaintiff the railroad company was responsible. It made no explanation of the killing.”

Defendant did not have to explain the killing. Counsel overlooks the fact that negligence on the part of defendant was alleged by him as' a part "of his' case and [683]*683that the burden is on him to prove it. Defendant did not have to disclose the manner in which the dogs were killed. That is..a part of the plaintiff’s case and it was his duty to do that. The defendant does not have' to make out plaintiff’s case for him. The rule referred to by plaintiff does not apply to a case of this kind.

“What must be alleged, must be proved.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 La. App. 680, 1925 La. App. LEXIS 234, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/henderson-v-lancaster-lactapp-1925.