Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Barham

128 S.W.2d 353, 198 Ark. 158, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 215
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 1, 1939
Docket4-5455
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 128 S.W.2d 353 (Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Barham) 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 Pacific Railroad v. Barham, 128 S.W.2d 353, 198 Ark. 158, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 215 (Ark. 1939).

Opinion

Hum:pheeys, J.

Appellee brought this suit in the circuit court of Nevada county against appellants to recover damages for personal injuries he received as the result of appellants’ train striking his automobile at a public road crossing near Prescott on. November 14, 1937. E. H. Wise, a resident of Arkansas, was the engineer in charge of and operating the train at the time of the collision. He was joined as- a defendant in the suit.

The pleadings consisted of a complaint and answer which are as follows:

‘ ‘ Complaint

The complaint alleged that on the night of November 14,1937, at about 10 o’clock the appellee was driving his automobile along a road called Wild Cat Road in an easterly direction; that as he approached the railroad crossing he stopped, looked and listened for the approach of a train, but, on account of a deep cut, a high embankment and a defective headlight on the engine of the locomotive, his view was practically obstructed until he was within thirty feet of the track; that he then attempted to cross the track and his car stalled thereon; that he observed appellant’s passenger train, known as the Sunshine Special, approaching about five hundred feet south of the crossing; that in order to save his life he jumped from the car in which he was riding; that the train struck the car and hurled it over and struck appellee before he had time to get out of the way; that as the train a]Dproached the crossing it was traveling at a high, fast and dangerous rate of speed; that appellants carelessly and negligently failed to keep a proper lookout for persons or property on their tracks and carelessly and negligently wholly failed to ring the bell or sound the whistle on the locomotive as the train approached the crossing or to give any signal whatever to warn persons of the approach of the train, and said crossing was one of the most constantly used highways in Nevada county and many people were constantly coming and going along over said crossing, which facts were known to appellants; that the tr.ack south of said crossing for a distance of about eight hundred yards was practically straight and level and. the crossing was in full and open view of appellants when the train reached a point eight hundred yards south of the crossing; that if appellants had been keeping a proper lookout they could and would have observed appellee’s car on or near said track and could have discovered his perilous' position in time to have brought said train to a stop before striking appellee’s car; that appellants therefore failed to exercise ordinary care for the safety of persons about to cross said crossing, in violation of duties imposed upon them by law, and that they carelessly and negligently ran said train over said crossing and struck appellee’s automobile, causing him to be injured; that appellants knew, or 'by the exercise of ordinary care could have known, that appellee’s car was stalled on the track, and they knew, because of the fact that no bell was rung or whistle sounded and the defective condition of the headlight on the engine, that the train could not be seen at a safe distance by travelers on the highway; that appellee did not know the train was approaching the crossing, yet with knowledge of appellee’s peril the appellants carelessly and negligently ran said train over said crossing and struck appellee’s automobile. That before the train struck the automobile, appellee upon discovering the train and in order to save his life, jumped from same; that the train struck the automobile and hurled it over and against appellee causing him to be painfully and permanently wounded; that he suffered a severe injury to his back in that the fourth, fifth and sixth lumbar vertebrae were fractured, crushed and jammed, that his left leg was completely paralyzed from his hip down, that he sustained a large hernia in his right side, that his chest and left shoulder were crushed and the muscles, tissue and ligaments thereof torn and lacerated, that he suffered and will continue to suffer for the balance of his life a severe shock and injury to his entire nervous system, that his nervous system was completely shocked and thrown out of co-ordination, all on account of the carelessness and negligence of appellants; that prior to his injuries appellee was a stout, able-bodied man . . . years of age and earning and capable of earning $..............................per month; that he is now and will ever remain an invalid and cripple, unable to earn for himself and family a livelihood; that he suffers and will continue to suffer for the balance of his life great and excruciating pain and misery in his back, right side, left shoulder and chest, to his damage in the sum of $50,000 for which amount he prayed judgment.”

‘•‘Answer

The answer denied each and every material allegation of the complaint and alleged that if appellee was injured it was due to his own carelessness and negligence in driving his automobile upon the track without looking or listening for the approach of the train and without exercising any'care whatever for his own safety and protection; that he drove said automobile upon the track and stopped it deliberately and permitted the automobile to stand on the track until the train approached and struck it, and that, if he was struck by the automobile after same had been struck by the train, it was due to his own carelessness and negligence in failing to get out of the way when he had ample time to do so, and appellants plead said negligence on the part of appellee as a bar and defense to his right of recovery herein. The answer further alleged that if appellee was suffering from any-disability as a result of injuries, that he sustained said injuries elsewhere and that he sustained no injury whatever by reason of the train striking his automobile at the time and place complained of in his complaint.”

The cause was submitted to a jury upon the pleadings, evidence introduced by the parties and instructions of the court resulting in a verdict and consequent judgment against appellant for $20,000, from which is this appeal.'

No objections were interposed to the introduction of any of the testimony and, although in sharp conflict in every material point, when viewed in the most favorable light to appellee, there is substantial evidence in the record tending to sustain each and every allegation in the complaint, except as to the extent of the injuries received 'by appellee.

Appellants’ main contention for a reversal of the judgment is that- the trial court committed reversible error in submitting to the jury issues involving § 11144 of Pope’s Digest known as the lookout statute, and § 11135 of Pope’s Digest known as the crossing-signal statute.

It is argued that under the allegations of the complaint the court should have submitted only the question whether appellants were guilty of negligence under the common law. Of course, appellants would be correct in their contention and argument if the complaint was not broad enough to allege a failure to keep a statutory lookout and to allege a violation of the crossing-signal statute.

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345 S.W.2d 917 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1961)
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342 S.W.2d 473 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1961)
Missouri Pac. R. v. Baldwin
117 F.2d 510 (Eighth Circuit, 1941)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 S.W.2d 353, 198 Ark. 158, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 215, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-pacific-railroad-v-barham-ark-1939.