Lorenzen v. Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co.

1 D. Haw. 267
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedJuly 15, 1902
StatusPublished

This text of 1 D. Haw. 267 (Lorenzen v. Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lorenzen v. Inter-Island Steam Navigation Co., 1 D. Haw. 267 (D. Haw. 1902).

Opinion

Estes, J.

This is an action for damages in tbe sum of $10,-240, for injuries received by libellant wbil© on board tbe American barkentine “Irmgard” when said barkentine was anchored in tbe harbor of Honolulu about seven or eight bnrudred feet off shore, and while title “Noeau,” a steam vessel owned and operated by the defendant, tbe Intor-IsLamd Steam Navigation Company, Limited, a Corporation, was anebored alongside of the said “Irmgard” and was discharging sugar into the “Irmgard” from tbe hold of tile “Noeau” by means of machinery and appliances belonging to the said “Noeau.”

Tile complainant w-as first officer of tbe “Inngaad;” that with [269]*269the exception of having given orders to the crew of the “Irmgard” to prepare the hatch with the chutes for the reception of the sugar, he had nothing whatever to do with the discharging or unloading of the said eargoi of sugar into the hold of the “Irmgard.”

It seems that between nine and ten o’clock in the morning of Jaauaoy 30'th, 1902, the “Noeau” came out alongside of where the “Imgard” was lyingi with her head to the shore; and anchored alongside of the “Irmgard,” the “Noeau” being beaded off shore, so that they lay port to port. That after the “Noeau” came alongsideiof the “Irmgard” the crew of the “Noeau” commenced preparations to hoist the sugar out of the hold of the “Noeau” and to discharge the same into the hold of the “Irmgard.”

It is admitted that the following is the process by which the sugar was transferred from the “Noeau” to the “Irmgard,” to-wit:

Said “Noeau” had two masts, and from the foremast leading aft, was a wire rope. Attached -to this span, and so placed as to be directly over said “Noeau’s” hatch, was a block, and through this block a fall was rove, one end of which was fitted with a hook, while the other end led to the steam -winch aboard tbe “Noeau.” The purpose of said hook was to attach said fall to the sling loads of sugar for the purpose of lifting them from the hold of said “Noeau;” attached to the foremast of said “Noeau” was a gaff with a block made fast to its outer end, and through this block was rove a rope commonly known as the burden line. This burden line was made fast to the aforesaid donkey fall and permanently connected with it and designed to work with it. The: object of said donkey fall was to hoist the sling load out of the steamer hold; and the object of the burden line, oouulected as aforesaid with said block at the end of said gaff was to swing the sling load from over the “Noeau” to over the “Irmgard,” from which deck said sugar would pass into the hold of the “Irmgard” by chutes. As the sling load of sugar rises out. of the hold of the “Noeau,” the member of the crew of said “Noeau” in charge of said burden [270]*270line takes in the slack thereof, SO' that when the “Noca.u’s” winch easetsl up on, the donkey fall the weight of the sling load is rer ceived by the said burden line and as said burden lime lowers tbe sling load to the deck of the “Irimgard,” the member of the crew of the “Noeau” in charge of the winch, then slowly slacks away on said donkey fall, and thus said donkey fall does the work of transferring said sugar, until each sling load is transferred to the said burden lime, and thereafter the work is completed by tbe burden, line.

It further was brought out on the hearing that the duty of the man at the burden line was to wrap the said burden line around a post or dolly head, so-called, soi as to ease down the ding load of sugar on to the deck of the “Inngard.”

It is admitted that each sling load of sugar made upi in this cargo', contained ten bags, each bag of the average weight, of 125 pounds.

It is also admitted 'that the libellant was neither a, member of the crew of the “Noeau” nor a fellow servant or workman of any member of said crew; and tb.a.t be was mot engaged in transferring the sugar from, the “Noeau” to the “Inngard;” that mo machinery or appliances used were owned or operated by tbe “Imgard” nor was any member of her crew used in transfering this freight to thei “Inngard.”

It further appears that when the first sling load of sugar was being transferred from the. “Noeau” to the “Irmgiard,” and was over its decir, it struck the libellant, who was on the deck of the “Inngard,” knocked him down, rendered him senseless and broke his right leg below the knee; that libellant was therafter removed to the Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu, where he remained, undergoing medical treatment until IVIay 5, 1902.

The question involved in this case is one of negligence. Conceding the fact to be admitted that libellant received the injury for which he claims damages, was such injury the direct result of the defendant’s negligence, or was there such contributory negligence on tire part of the libellant as to defeat Ms recovery of damages1?

[271]*271It is a well known principle of law in eases of this characi that negligence of the plaintiff must have contributed directly produce the injury in order to defeat his recovery. In oth y words, his negligence must have been such that but for iit the injury could not have happemled.

Wharton on Negligence, 302; Railroad Company v. Jones, 95 U. S. 439; Mark v. Hudson, etc., B. Co., 56 How. Pr. 108; Harvey, Administrator, etc., v. The New York Central and Hudson River R. R. Co., 19 Hun. (N. Y.) 556; Kennard v. Burton, 43 Am. Dec. 249; (25 Me. 39); Haley v. Earl, 30 N. Y. 208.

And the principle is equally well established, that the negligence of the defendant cannot be excused on the. score of the negligence of the plaintiff. While the theory that every man must look out for himself prevails in so far that hei shall not place himself deliberately in the way of injury, yet the law contemplates that every man in bis relation towards others, shall conduct himself with reasonable care and prudence, no matter what the imprudence of others may be; and if by so conducting liimself hie can avoid injury to the person or property of others, he is liable for any injury resulting from a neglect to exercise such reasonable care and prudence.

Inland & Seaboard Coasting Co. v. Tolson, 139 U. S. 551; Grand Trunk Railway Co. v. Ives, 144 U. S. 408, 429; Needham v. S. F. & S. P. R. Co., 37 Cal. 409, 419-20; Essery v. S. P. Co., 103 Cal. 541, 544-5; Lee v. Market St. Ry. Co., 335 Cal. 293, 295-6; Baltimore & O. R. R. Co. v. Hellenthal, 88 Fed. 116, 120-1.
“It is correctly stated that generally between persons standing in no particular relation to each other, as in this case, that alone is reasonable care, which in the judgment of men in general, is proportionate to the probability of injury to others; and, consequently, he who does what is more than ordinarily dangerous is bound to use more tiran ordinary care.” (Morgan v. Cox, 22 Mo. 373; Durant v. Palmer, 29 N. J. L. 544, 546.)
“The measure of care against accident which onie must take to avoid responsibility is that which a person of ordinary pru[272]*272deuce and caution would use if his own interests were to be affected and the whole risk were his own.”

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Related

Railroad Co. v. Jones
95 U.S. 439 (Supreme Court, 1877)
Inland & Seaboard Coasting Co. v. Tolson
139 U.S. 551 (Supreme Court, 1891)
Grand Trunk Railway Co. v. Ives
144 U.S. 408 (Supreme Court, 1892)
Miller v. Ocean Steamship Co. of Savannah
23 N.E. 462 (New York Court of Appeals, 1890)
Haley v. . Earle
30 N.Y. 208 (New York Court of Appeals, 1864)
Kennard v. Burton
25 Me. 39 (Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, 1845)
Needham v. San Francisco & San José R.R.
37 Cal. 409 (California Supreme Court, 1869)
Esrey v. Southern Pacific Co.
37 P. 500 (California Supreme Court, 1894)
Mark v. Hudson River Bridge Co.
56 How. Pr. 108 (New York Supreme Court, 1878)
Morgan v. Cox
22 Mo. 373 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1856)
Baltimore & O. R. v. Hellenthal
88 F. 116 (Sixth Circuit, 1898)

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Bluebook (online)
1 D. Haw. 267, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lorenzen-v-inter-island-steam-navigation-co-hid-1902.