Jarrell v. American Pipe Bending Machine Co.

59 S.E. 186, 2 Ga. App. 764, 1907 Ga. App. LEXIS 519
CourtCourt of Appeals of Georgia
DecidedNovember 11, 1907
Docket466
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 59 S.E. 186 (Jarrell v. American Pipe Bending Machine Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jarrell v. American Pipe Bending Machine Co., 59 S.E. 186, 2 Ga. App. 764, 1907 Ga. App. LEXIS 519 (Ga. Ct. App. 1907).

Opinion

Powell, J.

Jarrell brought suit against the American Pipe Bending Machine Company. At the first term, to the petition, a demurrer containing the general ground of no cause of action, and several special grounds, was filed. To meet the demurrer a series of amendments were filed by the plaintiff. The substance of the petition and of the additions made to it by the amendments is as follows, the matter inserted by the amendments being indicated by inclosure in parentheses: (1) Defendant is a corporation, etc. (2) Petitioner is a minor of the age of fourteen years, and was in the employ of the defendant. Defendant knew that he had no experience (petitioner informed defendant that he was without experience), and knowingly put-him to work on a very dangerous machine without warning him of the danger of operating said machine (by the foreman in charge of the works of the defendant company). (3) On March 24, 1906, petitioner was at work upon a machine which had been assigned to him (by the foreman in charge of defendant’s works who directed him how to run the machine, instructing him that if the drill should stop for any cause he was to throw the lever with his left hand, and stop the machine [765]*765or it would break the machinery, and petitioner was following the instructions given him at the time his hand was injured), and, not knowing of its dangerous character, attempted to stop the machine, as he had been directed to do, when his left hand was thrown violently and suddenly from the lever into the cogs of the machine, cutting off his forefinger from his left hand, bruising and mashing his left hand, making him a cripple for life. (4) Petitioner was in the place assigned to him (to wit, to work on a large •steam drill, drilling holes in the heads of boiler heads) and in the discharge of his duties and without fault on his part; and the •defendants were negligent: First, in putting said minor to work on a dangerous machine without giving him warning of the danger. Second: The defendants were negligent in not providing a safe place for the child to work. Third: The defendants were ■negligent in having a boy of his youth and size to work on that machine (petitioner being a small boy for his age), defendant knowing that it required more strength than petitioner [possessed] to throw the lever and hold the drill at the same time. (5) Petitioner was disfigured, suffered great pain, is permanently injured, etc. The court sustained the demurrer on both the general and the special grounds. This judgment is assigned as error.

We think that the petition is sufficient to withstand general demurrer. As to the‘special grounds, it occurs to us that the best way to dispose of them is to take them up seriatim and decide them as if they were a series of questions propounded to us. In the cases of Cedartown Cotton & Export Co. v. Miles, 2 Ga. App. 79, 58 S. E. 289, and Southern States Portland Cement Co. v. Helms, 2 Ga. App. 308, 58 S. E. 524, we discussed at some-length the allegations necessary to a perfect suit by a servant against the master for personal injuries. In this opinion, reference will be frequently made to these two bases, and for brevity they will be cited as the Miles case, and the Helms case, respectively.

Should the demurrer to the above petition have been sustained, . (1) because the same contains no allegations of fact showing that the danger complained of was unknown to the servant? No. Lack of actual knowledge may be stated directly and without elaboration. Miles case. (2) Because the same contains no allegations of fact showing that the danger complained of was known or -ought to have been known by the defendant? No. Miles case, [766]*766Helms case. (3) Because the same contains no allegations of fact showing that the plaintiff did not have means of knowing of the danger complained of, equal to those of the master? No. The inexperience and youthfulness of the servant as opened to the knowledge always imputed to the master as to the nature of his instrumentalities make a prima facie case of inequality of means of knowledge. (4) Because the same does not contain any allegations of fact showing that the servant could not have known of the danger complained of, by the exercise of ordinary care? Yes. In the light of the insufficient and meagre description of the machine and of the dangerous element in it, this demurrer is well taken. Miles case. (5) Because, so far as the allegations of plaintiff’s petition show, plaintiff had sufficient capacity to be sensible of danger, and the power to avoid it? No. In the form in which the ground of demurrer is stated, it is “speaking.”

(6) Should the demurrer to the following portion of paragraph 2 of the petition, to wit, “Defendant knew that he [plaintiff] had no experience,” have been sustained, (a) because there are no allegation's of fact supporting the conclusion so pleaded? No. Total lack of experience is a fact which may be stated directly, just as total lack of knowledge may be. (b) Because there are^no allegations showing what agent or servant of defendant whose knowledge was binding on it had the knowledge alleged? No. The amendment avoided this ground, (c) Because the expression, “had no experience” is too vague and indefinite to permit or require defendant to join issue thereon? And in what particular plaintiff had no experience, or with reference to what kind and character of work, or machinery, or labor, is in no manner made' plain? Yes. The allegations, as against this special demurrer,, should have gone forward and have shown in what particular the plaintiff was inexperienced. As stated, it is too indefinite in this respect. (7) Should the demurrer to the following portion of paragraph 2 of the petition, to wit, “On a very dangerous machine,” have been sustained, (a) because the same is a mere conclusion unsupported by any allegations of fact, and how and -why and in what particular said machine was “very dangerous” is not set forth; what danger complained of is not stated, and no allegations of fact are made which throw any light on what is meant by said expression “very dangerous?” Yes. See the Miles case [767]*767for a discussion of the particularity with which the nature of the machine and the dangerous element in it must be set forth. (&) Because what and where said machine was and was located is not shown? No. (8) Should the demurrer to the following portion of paragraph 2 of the petition, to wit, “without warning him of the danger of operating the machine,” have been sustained, (a) because there are no allegations setting forth what warning should have been given plaintiff by defendant? Yes. (&) Because there are no allegations setting forth what danger is referred to and its nature and character? No; except so far as it makes the point that the nature and character of the danger is not alleged explicitly.

(9) Should the demurrer to the following portion of paragraph 3 of the petition, to wit, “Plaintiff not knowing of its dangerous character,” have been sustained, (a) because there are no facts alleged supporting the conclusion so pleaded ? No. (&) Because there are no facts alleged which show why plaintiff did not know of such dangerous character of the machinery? No. (c) Because there are no facts alleged which show that plaintiff did not have means of knowing such alleged danger equal to those of the master? No. (d) Because there are no facts alleged showing that the plaintiff could not have known of such alleged danger by the exercise of ordinary care? Yes.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
59 S.E. 186, 2 Ga. App. 764, 1907 Ga. App. LEXIS 519, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jarrell-v-american-pipe-bending-machine-co-gactapp-1907.