Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad v. Collins

153 S.W. 607, 106 Ark. 353, 1913 Ark. LEXIS 235
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 3, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 153 S.W. 607 (Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad v. Collins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad v. Collins, 153 S.W. 607, 106 Ark. 353, 1913 Ark. LEXIS 235 (Ark. 1913).

Opinion

Smith, J.

Williams Collins, a locomotive engineer in the employ of appellant, brought suit for personal injuries. He alleged that his injury occurred as follows: That he was given charge of an engine and caboose at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, with instructions to proceed to Berryville, Arkansas, and make up a train to Seligman, Mo. That said engine was an overhauled engine, which had never been “broken in,” as was customary after overhauling, an engine before using it, as directed. That he started with his engine, but at Kang’s Eiver bridge, he discovered that the mainpin on the right side of the engine was running hot, which was caused by a rod being keyed up too tight; that the plaintiff on the return trip from Berryville discovered at Gaskin that it was necessary to loosen a rod cup with a wrench, on account of the mainpin running hot. That in attempting to loosen said rod cup, he attached the wrench to it as is customarily done, and while attempting to loosen said rod cup, the wrench slipped and he was thrown upon his back across a large stone. That the slipping of the wrench was caused by one of the corners of said cup being round and mashed so that the wrench did not hold and that his fall was caused by reason of it slipping and that as a result thereof, he was confined to his bed for two weeks; that his left kidney was torn loose from its natural, position and badly lacerated; that he suffered much pain; and that he has since been unable to do any kind of work, or to be at ease physically; that he was permanently injured, and had suffered a decrease in his earning capacity; had lost, and would lose much time from his work; and had incurred large expense for medical treatment.

The answer admitted defendant’s employment, but denied all the allegations of the complaint and alleged that if plaintiff was injured, the injury resulted from his own carelessness in the performance of his work, and pleads assumption of risk.

. Plaintiff testified that he had been a locomotive engineer for six years and was operating a train, carrying goods in an interstate shipment. That when he got to King’s River’ bridge, it became necessary to stop his engine as the mainpin was running hot and to fill the cup with grease; that standing on the side of the engine on the cinder platform, he tried to unscrew the cup with a monkey wrench, but it was on too tight and he had to get the fireman to help him get the cup off with the coal pick; the fireman filled the cup with grease and they proceeded with the engine to Gaskins, where another stop had to be made to fix the hot pin. That standing again at the side of the engine, on the cinder platform, plaintiff tried at this point to unscrew the cup by pushing against the handle of the monkey wrench, but it was on too tight. Witness then changed the wrench over to the other hand so that he could put his foot against the driving wheel and pull on the wrench handle. As he pulled, the wrench slipped off the cup, and he sustained the injuries for which he sues.

One witness testified on behalf of plaintiff that plaintiff did not appear to walk as erect as he did before his injury and the nurse, who ministered to him during his confinement in bed, stated that he suffered pain and passed blood several times, and another witness testified that he had massaged appellee’s back during a period of two months; that at first it was discolored, but that there was now no discoloration or other evidence of his injury, although he still complained of a dull pain in the back.

Appellee testified that the wrench was safe, if the cup had not been round on one side, and that he did not know of this defect until after his injury, which occurred in the night time. There were witnesses, who testified as experts, that it was not safe to pnll on a cup with a round side with a wrench, especially when the cup was greasy, as they usually were.

It appeared to be conceded that the object of “breaking in” an engine was to see that the bearings would not run hot and time be lost in consequence; and that the failure to “break in” an engine would not endanger the safety of anyone, and the proof on the part of the defendant was that the engine had been broken in before being put back into service.

The evidence on the part of the defendant was also to the effect that the cup could be removed with safety in the exercise of ordinary care. Appellant also alleges that the verdict was excessive; and that the court erred in permitting one Dr. Tatman, a witness for appellee, to testify as to certain possible results that might arise from such an injury as plaintiff claimed to have received. In the course of the examination of this witness, the following questions and answers appear:

Q. Go ahead and state then what the natural and probable consequences of injury to the kidneys would be.

A. One of the probable results of injury to the kidneys is calculous.

Q. What other, doctor?

A. I will state the possibility of Bright’s disease. .
Q. What is Bright’s disease?

A. Chronic inflammation of kidneys, or it may be acute. In cases of this character, it may be more of a chronic type. There is practically two forms of Bright’s disease.

Q. What in reference to cure of it, chronic Bright’s disease?
A. I forget what the per cent is, but it will go up from 75 -to 90 per cent.
Q. What do the medical authorities count it as?
A. Practically incurable disease.
Q. What is calculous?
A. Stone in kidney.
Q. Is that a serious disease?
A. Yes.

And upon the cross examination of this witness, the following questions were asked and answers given:

Q. Yon say his spine is going to he all right?
Q. And that his kidneys are practically all right now?
A. Yes, as far as I can find them now.

Q. Then you would not say that you are expecting as a natural and probable consequence of that fall that he is going to have Bright’s disease, would you?

A. Those are possible causes.

Q. That is within the range of possibility, but you are not expecting it now as a natural and probable cause, are you, doctor?

A. There is no indication of it now.

The above questions and answers, elicited on direct examination, were over the objections and exceptions of the defendant.

The court gave a number of instructions at the request of both appellant and appellee, which fairly stated the law applicable to the issues of the case, and no serious objection is urged to the correctness of these instructions, and they are therefore not set out.

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Related

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247 S.W. 1071 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1923)
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156 S.W. 166 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1913)

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Bluebook (online)
153 S.W. 607, 106 Ark. 353, 1913 Ark. LEXIS 235, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-north-arkansas-railroad-v-collins-ark-1913.