Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co. v. Callahan

15 Ohio C.C. Dec. 115, 2 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 326, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 247
CourtLucas Circuit Court
DecidedJune 20, 1903
StatusPublished

This text of 15 Ohio C.C. Dec. 115 (Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co. v. Callahan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Lucas Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co. v. Callahan, 15 Ohio C.C. Dec. 115, 2 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 326, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 247 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1903).

Opinion

HULL, J.

This proceeding in error was brought to reverse the judgment of the court of common pleas. The defendant in error, who was the plaintiff below, brought his action against the railway company to recover damages for personal injuries, which he claims he sustained on January 21, 1901, on account of and through the negligence of the railway company. ITe was awarded a verdict of $1,500 by the general verdict of the jury; and there were special findings of the jury made in answer to interrogatories at the request of both plaintiff and defendant below.

A motion was made by the railway company, after verdict, for a judgment in its favor, notwithstanding the general verdict against it. This motion was overruled by the court below, and judgment entered against the railway company for the amount of the verdict ($1,500) ; and it was to reverse this judgment that the petition in error was filed in this court.

It is claimed that the plaintiff in error is entitled to a judgment in its favor in this court, upon the special findings of the jury, as well as a reversal of the judgment of the court below. And the only point urged here by the plaintiff in error is this one, that upon the special' findings of the jury, it was entitled to a judgment, notwithstanding the general verdict, and that it should have a judgment entered in its favor here.

The plaintiff, and when I say plaintiff, I mean the plaintiff below, William Callahan, was a section man in the employ of the railway company on the day of his injury, and was working under' the direction of one John Rabie, who was acting as foreman, nearly opposite the union depot in the city of Toledo — almost directly opposite the dining room, which is connected with the union station. Callahan and the other men in his gang were at work repairing the track at this point, a portion of the east bound main track, which lies outside of and to the south of the sheds under which the passenger trains ordinarily run'. They were at work there repairing the track, and in doing their work, it became necessary to have a wrench and bolt which were lying between the rails of this track, about seventy-five feet eastward of where they were at work, and Callahan was directed by Rabie, his foreman, to get this wrench and bolt, and he started eastward for that purpose.

Shortly before this, a passenger train had come in from Cleveland, which was due in Toledo at the station at 2 :10 p. m. The engine had been unhitched from the train for the purpose of taking it to the coal dock, or to the round house, and it had been run west about a quarter of a mile to what is known as the Broadway bridge, and was there switched [117]*117and thrown upon this east bound main track where these men were at work, and from this point, near the Broadway bridge, was then backed eastward, starting about a quarter of a mile west of where Callahan was at work,.the track being clear and straight.

Callahan, when he started after the wrench and bolt, walked down the east bound main track between the rails; as he started to walk between the rails he looked west, he says, and saw this locomotive, which was there, with its rear end toward him; he says it was some two or three hundred feet distant, and he thought it was standing still. • Other witnesses place it as near as seventy-five or one hundred feet. He proceeded eastward along the east bound,main track, without looking further for the locomotive or making any further attempt to ascertain whether it was moving or not. When he reached the place where the wrench and bolt were, according to his testimony, he stooped over to pick them up, and just as-he was in the act of stooping, with his back toward the locomotive, the rear end of the locomotive struck him, and he was thrown under the rear of the tender and dragged or propelled about one hundred and forty-seven feet, and sustained injuries; three fingers of one hand were cut off and he was otherwise injured about his person.

He claims that he heard no signal, either by bell or whistle, and did not hear the locomotive approaching, and he says he thought the locomotive was standing still when he started down the track, and that he did not know that it would start. And it is further claimed by him that it had been the custom for the foreman of such a gang to warn the men by calling out upon the approach of a train; and that he supposed, if a train approached from the rear while he was going down the track, he would be given such warning. He claims further that no such warning was given by the foreman then in charge, or if one was given he did not hear it.

It is also claimed that a man should have been placed upon the rear of the engine to notify men upon the track. However, this is not especially relied upon. But the grounds of negligence generally set up in the petition are that no bell was rung on this locomotive, or whistle blown; that the foreman in charge of the men did not keep a lookout for approaching trains or locomotives, and did not warn Callahan as he walked d(own the track; and that the engineer and fireman upon the locomotive were .negligent in not keeping a proper lookout for men upon the track, and in not stopping so as to prevent injuring Callahan after they discovered he was upon the track, or might have discovered him by due care, the claim being that by the exercise of ordinary care, the engi[118]*118neer might have discovered Callahan upon the track in time to have stopped the locomotive and avoided injuring him.

The fireman and engineer both testified that they did not see Callahan upon the track. The testimony of the engineer is, and it seems to be uncontradicted, that it would not be possible for him to see a man on the track from the engine nearer than 135 or 140 feet from the tender, on account of the view being obstructed by portions of the locomotive. And it is not claimed here that either the fireman or the engineer saw Callahan upon the track; at least there is no evidence that they did. It is claimed,, however, that, by the exercise of ordinary care, they might have seen him. But it is not claimed that he was injured through any wanton or wilful act of the engineer or fireman, or any reckless act; but the claim of the plaintiff is based upon the alleged negligence on the part of the engineer and fireman in not seeing him and in not giving a signal, and the failure to give warning by the foreman, as has been stated.

Any extended review of the evidence is unnecessary, on account of the special findings of the jury. The court, at the request of the railway company, submitted to the jury four interrogatories, which were answered. They are as follows, with the answers:

“1. After engine 146 came out upon the cast bound main track and began to back easterly, did it stop so backing until after it struck Callahan?” Ans. “No.”
“2. Was the bell upon engine 146 ringing as it was backing east on the east bound main track as and when Callahan was struck?” Ans. “Yes.”
“3. Did Engineer Sawyer, whilst backing his engine on the east bound main track, and as and when Callahan was struck, exercise ordinary care in keeping a careful lookout in the direction in which his engine was backing?” Ans. “No.”
“4. Before Callahan started to walk east upon or at the side of the east bound main track could he, by the exercise of ordinary care, have observed this engine a short distance westerly of him, moving towards him upon the east bound main track?” Ans. “Yes.”
“6.

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Bluebook (online)
15 Ohio C.C. Dec. 115, 2 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 326, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lake-shore-michigan-southern-railway-co-v-callahan-ohcirctlucas-1903.