Merrill v. Oregon Short Line R. Co.

81 P. 85, 29 Utah 264, 1905 Utah LEXIS 18
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1905
DocketNo. 1618
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 81 P. 85 (Merrill v. Oregon Short Line R. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Merrill v. Oregon Short Line R. Co., 81 P. 85, 29 Utah 264, 1905 Utah LEXIS 18 (Utah 1905).

Opinion

STRAUP, J.

1. Respondents had judgment against appellants for negligently causing the death of William A. Merrill, the husband and father of respondents. Among other things, it was alleged in-the complaint that the deceased was in the employ of the appellant as a car repairer at its yard in Pocatello, Idaho, and was directed to make repairs on one of its cars in a string or train of cars standing upon one of its tracks in said yard; that the appellant had negligently failed to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations concerning the displaying of flags when car repairers were between or under cars making repairs, and at such time forbidding coupling onto or moving the said cars; that whilst the deceased was between two of said cars the appellant, without notice or warning to the deceased, .negligently backed and kicked a string of cars against the cars on which the deceased was making repairs, thereby moving them and so injuring him that he died. The answer contained a general denial as to all of the alleged acts of negligence, and alleged negligence of a fellow servant, contributory negligence of the deceased, and that his death was caused from a usual and ordinary risk of his employment.

2. ■ The evidence on behalf of respondents, so far as material to the assigned errors, tends to show: That there were ten tracks running parallel with each other in the yard, which was about three-quarters of a mile long. The yard was used for holding, breaking, and the making up of -trains, and a great deal of switching was done there. All trains, both passenger and freight, were stopped and looked over, and, if any light repairs were necessary, they were made there. The deceased was a member of a crew of car repairers, over which there was a foreman. There was a switch crew switching in [273]*273tbe yard, over which, there was also a foreman. There was also a yard master and a general foreman of the car shops. The deceased was between two cars of a string of four or five cars standing on track No. 6, repairing a coupler. He was working alone. There was no system of signaling or warning used by appellant to make known that car repairers were under of between cars while making repairs, standing upon the track in the yard". There were no flags or other signals displayed on the cars where the deceased was at work. Appellant had not. furnished flags for such purpose. Light repairs would be made while the switchmen were rearranging the cars, and between the times the cars would be switched and moved about. The men were not in the habit of using flags to protect themselves when making repairs. When there were two men working together, one would look out while the other made the repairs. When a repairer was alone, he looked out for himself and took his own chances. About a year prior to the accident, appellant and the men were in the habit of using flags, and when a train came into the yard the inspectors and repairers were in the habit of putting a flag at each end, and then the inspection would be made. About a year prior to the accident, complaint was made by the yard master to the foreman of the inspection and repair crew that such method held the cars too long, and prevented needed switching and making up of trains in the yard, and the yard master stated to' the foreman that the flags would have to be taken off as quick as the inspection was done, and that the work would have to be done afterwards. After that the repairers would work between the cars without a flag. The deceased was in the employ of appellant, engaged at this work in its yard, a little over a month. Whilst he was at work between two of said oars a string of about twenty-four cars in the process of switching were kicked and run down upon the track, and against the cars where the deceased was at work, thereby injuring him so that he died. The cars would not have been kicked down and run against the other cars, had a flag or some other danger signal been displayed about or upon them. The above, of course, is a statement of that portion of the evi-[274]*274deuce most favorable to tbe respondents. Appellant introduced evidence showing that it bad not only established and promulgated rules and regulations concerning the displaying of flags under said circumstances, but that it had also enforced such rules; that at the time of the accident, and for a long time prior thereto, it had promulgated and enforced a rule (No. 26) :

“A blue flag by day and a blue light by night displayed at one or both ends of an engine, car or train indicates that workmen are under or about it. When thus protected it must not be coupled to or moved. Workmen will display the blue signals and the same workmen are alone authorized to remove them. Other cars must not be placed on the same track so as to intercept the view of the blue signals without first notifying the workmen.”

Another rule:

“When inspecting and repairing cars which they do hot wish moved, they must protect themselves by placing conspicuously a blue signal on both ends of the car, as provided in rule 26, and when necessary to make repairs on a car in a train, they must place blue signals, on both ends of the train before commencing work. If an engine is attached to it, they will place a blue signal upon the engine where it can be plainly seen by the engineman and fireman.”

It introduced evidence showing it had furnished and had on hand an ample supply of flags for such purpose, and that there was no disregard of the use of them, but that they were generally used and displayed by the repair men when inspecting and making repairs, in accordance with, and as it was their duty to do under the said rules.

3. The court charged the jury that respondent’s rights to recover in the action were to be determined by the law of the state of Idaho, and charged, under such law, that the foreman of the repair or inspecting crew, the foreman of the switch[275]*275ing crew, and all other persons at work in and about the yard were fellow servants with the deceased, and that appellant was not liable for any negligence of either said foremen or said persons. But the court further charged that if the appellant was negligent, as alleged in the complaint in respect to promulgating, and enforcing rules and regulations, and the deceased did not know of such negligence, and if the negligence of appellant combined and concurred with the negligence of a fellow servant, and if such negligence of the appellant was a proximate cause of the inr jury apd death of deceased, it would be liable. The court fully charged the jury as to their determination when and under what circumstances rules were required, and as to the duties of appellant in promulgating and enforcing them, and, if ordinary care in these respects had been used, its duty was discharged, “even though it has failed in its efforts to secure obedience or observation of the rules. If, after performing this duty, the rules are violated or not enforced by the fellow servants,” and injury is occasioned as a result thereof, appellant was not liable. The court also fully charged as to contributory negligence, and, among other things, that it was the duty of the deceased to use “ordinary care to acquaint himself with the rules and regulations of his employer, to familiarize himself with the methods employed by the employer in the performance and conduct of his business, and to guard and protect himself against injury that might arise from the way the business was being conducted and managed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
81 P. 85, 29 Utah 264, 1905 Utah LEXIS 18, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/merrill-v-oregon-short-line-r-co-utah-1905.