Lloyd v. North Carolina Railroad

162 N.C. 485
CourtSupreme Court of North Carolina
DecidedMay 28, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 162 N.C. 485 (Lloyd v. North Carolina Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lloyd v. North Carolina Railroad, 162 N.C. 485 (N.C. 1913).

Opinion

Hoke, J.,

after stating the case: The plaintiff in express terms bases his cause of action on the Federal Employers’ Liability Act of 1908 (35 U. S. St., 65 Ch., 149) as amended on 5 April, 1910 (36 U. S. St., 291 Fed., 143), and in his complaint makes allegation sufficient to establish liability on the part of both, of defendant companies. The statute in question confers a right of action against all common carriers by railroad engaged in interstate- commerce and in favor of all employees “while engaged in such commerce or their representatives when injured or killed by reason of the negligence of any officers or agents of the employee of such carrier or by reason of any defect or insufficiency due to its'negligence in its cars, engines, appliances, machinery, track, roadbed, ways or walks.”

[493]*493Tbe law in question bas received very full consideration by tbe - Supreme Court of tbe United States in several cases reported in 223 U. S., p. I, styled tbe Second Employers’ Liability cases, and it was there held, among other things: “That tbe same is constitutional; that its provisions and regulations have superseded tbe laws of the several States in so far as tbe latter cover tbe same field; and that rights arising under tbe regulations prescribed by tbe act may be enforced as of right in tbe courts of tbe States where their jurisdiction as fixed by local laws is adequate.” And tbe amendment of 1910 contains provision that “Tbe jurisdiction of tbe courts of tbe United States under this act shall be concurrent with that of tbe courts of tbe several States, and 'No case arising under this act and brought in any State court of competent jurisdiction shall be removed to any court of tbe United States.’ ” 36 U. S. St., Ch. 143, p. 291.

It was no doubt tbe purpose and effect of this amendment, as its terms clearly import, to withdraw tbe right of removal in cases arising under tbe statute when tbe action bas been instituted in tbe State court, and to require that litigants desiring to have tbe results of tbe trial reviewed by reason of tbe. presence of a Federal question, etc., shall proceed by writ of error to tbe State court making final disposition of tbe cause in its jurisdiction. All tbe decisions to which we were referred upholding tbe right of removal in such cases (Lemon v. R. R., 137 Ky., 276; Calhoun v. Centrol of Ga., 528, and others) were causes disposed of prior to tbe amendment, and which no doubt gave rise to its enactment.

And if, as defendants contend, tbe same right of removal exists as in cases of fraudulent joinder of a resident with a nonresident defendant, tbe application should be denied in this instance. On this question tbe authorities are to tbe effect that when viewed as a legal proposition tbe plaintiff is entitled to have bis cause of action considered as be bas ^presented it in bis complaint (R. R. v. Miller, 217 U. S., 209; R. R. v. Thompson, 200 U. S., 206; Dougherty v. R. R., 126 Fed., 239), and while a case may in proper instances be removed on tbe ground of false and fraudulent allegation of jurisdictional [494]*494facts, tbe right does not exist, nor is the question raised by general allegations of bad faitb, but only when, in addition to t'he positive allegation of fraud, there is full and direct statement of the facts and circumstances of the transaction sufficient, if true, to demonstrate “that the adverse party is making a fraudulent attempt to impose upon the court and so deprive the applicant of his right of removal.” Rea v. Mirror Co., 158 N. C., 24-27, and authorities cited, notably, Kansas City R. R. v. Herman, 187 U. S., 63; Foster v. Gas and Electric Co., 185 Fed., 979; Shane v. Electric Ry., 150 Fed., 801; Knutts v. Electric Ry., 148 Fed., 73; Thomas v. Great Northern, 147 Fed., 83; Hough v. R. R., 144 N. C., 701; Tobacco Co. v. Tobacco Co., 144 N. C., 352; Ill. R. R. v. Houchins, 121 Ky., 526; So. R. R. v. Gruzzle, 124 Ga., 735.

True, it is now uniformly held that when a verified petition for removal is filed, accompanied by a proper bond, and same contains facts sufficient to require a removal under the law, the jurisdiction of the'State court is at an end. And in such case it is no.t for the State court to pass upon or decide the issues of fact so raised, but it may only consider and determine the sufficiency of the petition and the bond. Herrick v. R. R., 158 N. C., 307; Chesapeake v. McCabe, 213 U. S., 207; Weaker v. Natural Enameling Co., 204 U. S., 176, etc. But this position obtains only as to such issues of fact as. control and determine the right of removal, and on an application for removal by reason, of fraudulent joinder such an issue is not pre-seated by merely stating the facts of the occurrence showing a right to remove, even though accompanied by general averment of fraud or bad faith, but, as heretofore stated, there must be full and direct statement of facts, sufficient, if true, to establish or demonstrate the fraudulent purpose. Hough v. R. R., 144 N. C., 692; Tobacco Co. v. Tobacco Co., 144 N. C., 352; Shane v. Ry., 150 Fed., 801. In Rea v. Mirror Co., supra, the principle v^as applied where plaintiff had sued a nonresident corporation doing a manufacturing business in this State, to recover-for physical injuries suffered by plaintiff and alleged to be by reason of some negligence of the company in the operation of its machinery, and a resident employee was joined as [495]*495codefendant. Tbe nonresident company, in apt time, filéd its duly verified petition, accompanied by proper bond, setting forth the facts of the occurrence .with great fullness of detail, charging a fraudulent joinder of the resident employee, and containing averment further that “said employee was a member of the company’s clerical force in the office of the company, having nothing whatever to do with the machinery or its management, and that he was not present in the factory at the time of the injury.” The petition for removal was allowed, the Court being of opinion that, if these facts were established, it would make out the charge of fraudulent joinder and bring the case within the principle of Wecker v. Natural Enameling Co., 204 U. S., 176; but no such facts are presented here. While the petitioner alleges a fraudulent joinder of the North Carolina Railroad and denies that the plaintiff was 'engaged in interstate commerce, etc., it will appear from a perusal of the pleadings and the admissions of record not inconsistent therewith,' that plaintiff, at the time of the injury, was an employee of the defendant’ as locomotive engineer; that he had been operating the engine in question over á portion of the North Carolina Railroad, used as a part of the north and south trunk line of the Southern Railway and on to Monroe in the State of Virginia, and engaged in moving interstate freight trains; that this engine, having been taken to the shops f.or repairs, was at the precise time of the injury on a side-track connecting with the North Carolina Railroad main line, ready for a trial trip to Barber Junction, and plaintiff was engaged in inspecting and oiling said engine for the purpose of taking said trip and with a view of further service for the company. It has long been understood that the term interstate commerce will include the instrumentalities' and agencies by which the same is conducted, and that the power of Congress will extend to the regulation of these instrumentalities, including the right to legislate for the welfare of persons operating the same

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Bluebook (online)
162 N.C. 485, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lloyd-v-north-carolina-railroad-nc-1913.