Hurt v. Yazoo & M. V. R.

140 Tenn. 623
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedApril 15, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 140 Tenn. 623 (Hurt v. Yazoo & M. V. R.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hurt v. Yazoo & M. V. R., 140 Tenn. 623 (Tenn. 1918).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Lansden

delivered the opinion of the Court.

These two actions were tried together in this court and will he disposed of in this opinion. The case of Dr. Lewis is to recover of defendant damages for personal injuries to himself and for destruction of an automobile. The case of Hurt, administrator, is to recover damages for the death of his intestate, Dr. Nelson.

[627]*627The facts so far as need be stated, are as follows: Dr. Lewis and Dr. Nelson were partners in the practice of medicine in Memphis, Tenn. They were specialists in the diseases of the ear, eye, throat, and nose. Dr. Nelson had a patient south of Memphis a short distance, and he and Dr. Lewis visited the patient for the purpose of performing an operation. It was Dr. Nelson’s patient, but they went to the patient’s residence in Dr. Lewis’s automobile. Dr. Lewis drove the automobile and Dr. Nelson went as a guest. There were no charges made by Dr. Lewis for transporting Dr. Nelson in the automobile. The home of the patient was on what is known as the Horn Lake road. The tracks of the defendant crossed this road at practically a right angle, though not entirely so. A train of defendant’s was proceeding south over its tracks from Memphis to Vicksburg, Miss. The crossing of the railroad and the dirt road is commonly known as a “blind crossing.” The train in proceeding south over the tracks of the company, passes through a deep cut which emerges a short distance north of the road crossing. The walls of this cut are stated to be about twenty-five feet high, except at the south, where the walls gradually decline to a level with' the railroad tracks. On the east side of the cut are a great many trees, vinés, and the like which obstruct the view of one traveling the dirt road as it enters on the railroad tracks. There is substantially an agreement in the testimony that a traveler on the dirt road cannot [628]*628see the train emerging from this cht until he is within about twenty feet of -the crossing, and that the engineer and fireman on the train cannot see the traveler sooner.

Drs. Lewis and Nelson were returning from the operation referred to and had not spoken for perhaps one quarter of a mile before entering upon the crossing. Dr. Lewis was giving particular attention to the automobile, because the dirt road at and near the crossing was in bad repair, and it was deemed necessary to concentrate his attention upon the automobile and the road because of the roughness of the road. There is nothing to show what Dr. Nelson was doing. He and Dr. Lewis' saw the approaching train about the same instant. Dr. Nelson cried “Look out!” about the time that »Dr. Lewis saw the train out of the ‘ ‘ corner of his eye. ’ ’

The automobile was moving at from twelve to fifteen miles per hour when Dr. Lewis discovered the approaching train. He' thinks he first tried to stop his car, but instantly concluded that he was too close to the railroad track, and then tried to rush across the track. The engine struck the automobile about the rear wheel, and projected Drs. Lewis and Nelson down the track and over an embankment about thirty feet high. The automobile was carried on the pilot of the engine about three hundred feet and was totally wrecked. Dr. Nelson received injuries from which he died in about one month, after much pain and suffering. Dr. Lewis received serious injuries to his [629]*629leg, which disabled him for several days; but, as the amount of damages cannot be considered by ns upon this appeal, further details of the result of the accident will not be stated.

The plaintiffs' proof is that the train was seen by them as soon as it could have been seen. It also, shows, or tends to show, that the whistle was not, sounded and the bell was not rung; at all events, Dr. Lewis says that he did not see or hear the train until he was within twenty feet of the track. The engineer says he did not see the automobile until he was in the act of‘ striking it. The fireman did not see the accident at all. He says he was engaged about his duties.

Drs. Lewis and Nelson approached the crossing from the side opposite to the side occupied by the engineer. The engineer testifies that the nose of his engine obstructs his view so that the nearest point he can see the left rail of the track is ninety-five feet. He says he was on the lookout ahead and did not see the occupants of the automobile until after it had entered upon the track and just at the instant of the collision. He put on his emergency brakes, but did not reverse his engine or sound the stock alarm. He says he did not have time to do more than was actually done. His evidence is not contradicted except as it may be insisted that he is contradicted by the physical circumstances shown in the proof. He stopped his train within about its length, which was about four hundred feet. There was no statutory [630]*630sign at this crossing. There was a sign consisting of a post and cross-arms in the form of an “X,” with the words “Railroad Crossing.” This sign was erected by the defendants. It appears that they have a standard sign for Shelby county which has been placed at all public road crossings. There was a statutory sign at this crossing about 1905, but it had been removed long prior to this accident. The Shelby county commissioners had the various road crossings in Shelby county examined, and found the cross-arm sign had been erected by the defendants, and this was satisfactory to them.

The learned trial judge submitted the ease to a jury, which returned a verdict for $30,000 for Hurt, administrator, and $2,000 for Dr. Lewis. He overruled the motion for a new trial, and afterwards granted a motion for a directed verdict, stating at the time he was not satisfied that plaintiffs were entitled to recover under the law, or that they had sustained their case by a preponderance of the proof.

The defendants insist that the case is controlled by Graves v. Railroad, 126 Tenn., 148, 148 S. W., 239, and Whittaker v. Railroad., 132 Tenn., 576, 179 S. W., 140.

The Graves Case is the leading case on the subject, and holds, in substance, that the engineer of a railroad locomotive is under no obligation to give warning of the approach of his train at the crossing of a railroad and dirt road, unless the crossing is marked by a statutory sign prescribed by section 1574, Shan. Code. Sections 1574, 1575, and 1576 are construed in [631]*631that case, and the conrt held that they are mandatory and contain the full measure of the railroad’s obligation to the public.

These sections are as follows:

“Sec. 1574 (1) The overseers of every public road crossed by a railroad shall place at each crossing a sign marked: ‘Look out for the cars when you hear the whistle or bell;’ and the county court shall appropriate money to defray the expenses of said signs; and no engine driver shall be compelled to blow the whistle or ring the bell at any crossing, unless it is so designated. (2) On approaching every crossing so distinguished, the whistle or bell of the locomotive shall be sounded at a distance of one-fourth of a mile from the crossing, and at short intervals until the train has passed the crossing.”
“See. 1575. Every railroad company that fails to observe these precautions, or cause them to be observed by its agents or servants, shall be responsible for all damage to persons or property occasioned by, or resulting from, any accident or collision that may occur. ’ ’

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Bluebook (online)
140 Tenn. 623, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hurt-v-yazoo-m-v-r-tenn-1918.