Indiana Natural & Illuminating Gas Co. v. Marshall

52 N.E. 232, 22 Ind. App. 121, 1898 Ind. App. LEXIS 684
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided December 20, 1898·No. No. 2,524·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

Robinson, J.

— Appellant appeals from a judgment awarding damages for personal injuries sustained by appellee’. The errors assigned call in question the overruling of the demurrer to the complaint, the overruling of appellant’s motions for judgment on the interrogatories notwithstanding the general verdict, for a venire de novo, for a new trial, and in arrest of judgment.

The complaint alleges that on and since March 1, 1896, appellant has operated an electric light plant in the city of Frankfort, Indiana; that on said date appellee entered the employ of appellant as a “trimmer”; that his duties wore to visit appellant’s lamps each day, examine them, and see that they were in proper condition, to replace carbon in lamps when necessary, and to inspect said lamps once each hour when lighted, to see that they were burning properly, and, if any lamp was found not in proper condition, to report that fact to appellant’s electrician; that appellee continued in such employ until the 23rd day of duly, 1896, when appellant was putting up a new wire which required adjusting at the top of a pole extending twenty-five feet above ground; that appellee was ordered and required by one George 13. Marshall, who was appellant’s agent and electrician, and whose duty it was in part to maintain the poles and wires in proper condition, to climb said pole to adjust said wire; that such work was no [123] part of his duty as trimmer, aud no part of the duties for which he was employed, and that it was more dangerous and unsafe than such duties, and that he was inexperienced in climbing electric light poles, and in the proper construction of spurs for use in such climbing; that said pole was planted in a leaning position, and extended upward through the limbs of a tree, which limbs were so around and about said pole as to compel him to climb upon the under side thereof; that appellant furnished appellee spurs to attach to his feet with which to climb said pole by striking said spurs into said pole; that said George B. Marshall was authorized to command all employes except one Harry Natcher, who was superintendent, and that said Natcher had notified appellee to obey the orders of said Marshall; that the spurs so furnished by appellant were defectively constructed in that the parts intended to be stuck into the pole by the wearer in climbing were set at an angle of forty-five degrees with the body of iron strapped to the wearer’s leg, when it should have been at an angle of five degrees only; that they were constructed of soft metal, so that the points would bend under a man’s weight thus making the angle greater, and causing the spurs to loosen from the pole; that in obedience to said orders he climbed said pole, using said spurs, and when about twenty feet from the ground the spurs lost their hold, and appellee fell, causing injuries which are described, and which are alleged to be permanent.

It is further averred that appellee fell because the pole was leaning, and the spurs were defectively constructed, which fact appellant knew; that appellee did not know the spurs were defectively constructed, and did not know it was more hazardous to climb a leaning pole than one standing upright; that the duties of trimmer were not hazardous or dangerous, and that climbing poles and adjusting wires thereon is especially so to persons unaccustomed to such work; that appellant knew appellee was unaccustomed to climbing poles and adjusting wires; that said injury resulted from the wrongful conduct of appellant in permitting said [124] pole to remain in a leaning position surrounded by the limbs of a tree and in requiring appellee to use said defectively constructed spurs, and that said injury was without fault or negligence on appellee’s part.

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Indiana Natural & Illuminating Gas Co. v. Marshall, 52 N.E. 232, 22 Ind. App. 121, 1898 Ind. App. LEXIS 684 (Ind. Ct. App. 1898).

52 N.E. 232 (Indiana Natural & Illuminating Gas Co. v. Marshall) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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