McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. v. Sendzikowski

72 Ill. App. 402, 1897 Ill. App. LEXIS 645
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 23, 1897
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 72 Ill. App. 402 (McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. v. Sendzikowski) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. v. Sendzikowski, 72 Ill. App. 402, 1897 Ill. App. LEXIS 645 (Ill. Ct. App. 1897).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Windes

delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is the second appeal of this case to this court. (58 Ill. App. 418.) On the first appeal by the plaintiff below, appellee on this appeal, the judgment was reversed, the court having instructed a finding for defendant. A second trial has resulted in a verdict for appellee of $7,500 and judgment thereon, from which this appeal is taken. Appellant claims there was a fatal variance between plaintiff’s declaration and the proof; that there was error in the giving and refusing of instructions; that the court admitted improper evidence for plaintiff; that there was not evidence to sustain the verdict; that the injury was caused by an assumed hazard, and that there was error in refusing the second special finding submitted for the jury.

The first count of the declaration alleges, in substance, that on May 7, 1890, the plaintiff was an employe of the defendant; that defendant was engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling agricultural implements and machinery in Cook county, Illinois, arid that it was the duty of defendant to furnish plaintiff safe and suitable machinery, tools, utensils and appliances in good order and condition for use in his employment; that defendant did not regard its duty in that behalf, but did furnish, by its servant, its foreman, to an employe of defendant, for use, a chisel which contained a flaw or defect, which fact was well known to the said foreman, but unknown to plaintiff, and defendant made default therein, and did not regard its duty; and while plaintiff and one of the other employes of defendant, on said day, with due care and .diligence, were using said chisel in the performance of their duties in the business of defendant, the chisel so carelessly, negligently and improperly furnished, by reason of said defect or flaw, and while in ordinary use, was then and there caused to and did break, and a piece of said chisel struck plaintiff with great force and violence in the left eye, totally destroying the sight thereof, and permanently injuring plaintiff, etc.

By an additional count it was alleged, in substance, in addition to the allegations of the first count above stated, that defendant did not regard its duty, but on the contrary furnished plaintiff, for use, a chisel which contained a flaw or defect, which fact was well known to defendant, but was unknown to plaintiff, and therein defendant made default, and did not regard its duty, and on said day, while plaintiff and one of defendant’s employes, with due care and diligence were using said chisel in the performance of their duties in the business of defendant, the chisel so carelessly, negligently and improperly furnished by defendant, and by reason of said defect or flaw, and while in ordinary use, was then and there caused to and did break, and a piece struck the plaintiff with great force and violence in the left eye, totally destroying the sight, and permanently injuring the plaintiff, by reason whereof the right eye of plaintiff has also become greatly weakened and injured, and the sight thereof greatly impaired; and plaintiff is informed by his physician that he will probably become totally blind, and thereby plaintiff was otherwise hurt, etc.

Appellant filed the general issue to the above counts.

On the trial the jury answered yes to the first special finding, to wit: “ Did the plaintiff after he knew of the alleged defect in the chisel with which he was working, continue to work with it, under the promise of the defendant that the defendant would repair the defect, or furnish a good chisel in' the place of the one with which he was working ? ”

The jury also answered no to the third special finding, to wit: “Was not the injury received by plaintiff the result of one of the ordinary and well known risks of employment in which he was engaged, and which he assumed while working in the employ of defendant, as a chipper of castings ? ”

The preponderance of the evidence justifies both said special findings.

Both counts of the declaration allege that the flaw or defect in the chisel, which caused-the injury was unknown to the plaintiff; in the first, that it was well known to appellant’s foreman, and in the additional count that it was well known to defendant.

The evidence shows, and the jury found as above stated, that plaintiff knew of the defect in the chisel and continued to work with it after such knowledge. That the allegations and proof must correspond—must agree—is elementary. They do not agree in this case, and the variance is fatal if it was properly presented to the court in apt time. Illinois C. R. R. Co. v. McKee, 43 Ill. 119; Toledo, W. & W. Ry. Co. v. Beggs, 85 Ill. 80; Chicago, B. & Q. R. R. Co. v. Bell, 112 Ill. 360; Chicago, B. & Q. R. R. Co. v. Dickson, 143 Ill. 368; Wabash W. Ry. Co. v. Friedman, 146 Ill. 583; Terre H. & I. R. R. Co. v. Peoria & P. U. Ry. Co., 167 Ill. 296.

In the Friedman case, supra, the court say, speaking of the question of variance: “ It may be said that the question involved is a technical one, and hence not entitled to that consideration which a court should give to a question which goes to the merits of an action, and plaintiff had the right, when the question was raised, to amend his declaration, and thus obviate the difficulty, but he saw proper to take another course, and he occupies no position now to complain should the rules of law that control in such cases be strictly enforced against him. * * * If the plaintiff may allege in his declaration one ground of recovery, and on the trial prove another, a. defendant never could be prepared for trial. One great object of a declaration is to notify the defendant of the nature and character of the plaintiff’s demand, so that he may be able to prepare for a defense; but if one ground of action may be alleged and another proven, the declaration would be a delusion, and instead of affording a defendant notice of what he ivas called upon to meet, it would be a deception.”

According to the declaration in the case at bar, the very gist of the plaintiff’s right to recover was in the fact that he did not know of the defect in the chisel which caused his injury, and appellant had the right to prepare its defense with reference to that fact, and rely upon the allegations of the declaration in that regard. It seems that the case was tried on the theory of an order by the foreman to plaintiff to work with the defective chisel, and a promise to supply a chisel without defect. That was not the case alleged. Ho order or promise to plaintiff is set out in the declaration.

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Bluebook (online)
72 Ill. App. 402, 1897 Ill. App. LEXIS 645, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccormick-harvesting-machine-co-v-sendzikowski-illappct-1897.