Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Montgomery

55 S.W.2d 68, 186 Ark. 537, 1932 Ark. LEXIS 386
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 21, 1932
Docket4-2741
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 55 S.W.2d 68 (Missouri Pacific Railroad v. Montgomery) 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. Montgomery, 55 S.W.2d 68, 186 Ark. 537, 1932 Ark. LEXIS 386 (Ark. 1932).

Opinion

Mehaeey, J.

The appellee, Alex. Montgomery, on June 7,1930, was in the employ of the appellant, Missouri Pacific Bailroad Company, as a brakeman on a freight train running from Monroe, Louisiana, to El Dorado, Arkansas. While in the service of appellant as such brakeman, he was under the direction of the conductor, who was in charge of the train, getting out a switch list, sitting down at the conductor’s desk in the caboose. He had been called by the conductor and directed to do this work. While engaged in this work, he was thrown against the desk by a violent jerk of the train and injured. The appellee was at the time of the injury engaged in interstate commerce, assisting in operating a train which was carrying interstate commence, and this suit was therefore brought under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act, and a recovery for his injury sought under the provisions of that act. Appellee alleged that he was injured by the negligence of the engineer in stopping the train in an unusual and violent manner; that he was thrown against the desk and permanently injured; that the engineer, in a sudden and violent manner, checked the train without notice or warning, throwing him against the writing desk, injuring his right side, fracturing five or six ribs and otherwise injuring him, and that he is in constant pain and suffering. At the time, and since his injury, he has suffered great and excruciating pain of body and mind, and will continue to suffer throughout the remainder of his life. He further alleged that, at the time of his in.juries, he was a strong, able-bodied man, 38 years of age and was earning $200 per month; that since bis injury be has suffered great pain of body and mind and will continue to suffer, and that bis injury is permanent; that since bis injury be has not been able to perform any labor of any kind, and alleged that be was damaged in the sum of $25,000, for which he prayed judgment. The appellant answered, denying all the material allegations in the complaint as to negligence, and as to bis injuries, and interposed the defenses of contributory negligence and assumption of risk. The undisputed evidence showed that the appellant was engaged in interstate commerce at the time of the injuries, and that appellee was engaged in interstate commerce. There was a verdict and judgment for $12,500, and the case is here on appeal.

Appellant’s first contention is that the court erred in not giving instruction No. 1, requested by appellant, which directed the jury to return a verdict for the appellant. Appellant insists that this instruction should have been given because it says that the evidence is not legally sufficient to sustain the verdict; that evidence of the violent jerk of the train injuring appellee is not evidence of negligence. We have held that, under the Federal Employers ’ Liability Act, it is necessary for the injured employee to prove that the railroad company was negligent, and that its negligence was the proximate cause of the injury. The burden is on him to prove these facts, and, if he fails to prove either, he cannot recover. The negligence of the railroad company must in whole or in part cause the injury.

Appellant first calls attention to St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Co. v. Smith, 179 Ark. 1015, 19 S. W. (2d) 1102. We said in that case: “No witness was able to say just how the accident happened.” We said further: “There was no evidence which tended to prove how the accident happened. As we have stated, it might have occurred in one of several ways.” Appellant calls attention to several cases decided by courts of other States, but it is unnecessary to review them. In numerous cases decided by this court, we have announced the rule contended for by the appellant. Appellant cites the case of Patton v. T. & P. Ry. Co., 179 U. S. 658, 21 S. Ct. 275. That case was decided before the Employers’ Liability Act, but in that case the court said: “It is undoubtedly true that cases are not to be lightly taken from the jury; that jurors are the recognized triers of questions of fact, and that ordinarily negligence is so far a question of fact, as to be properly submitted to and determined by them. ’ ’ In that case the court also said: “The fact of accident carries with it no presumption of negligence on the part of the employer, and it is an affirmative fact for the injured employee to establish that the employer has been guilty of negligence.” This is the well-established rule of this court. Appellant cites other cases to the same effect.

Attention is also called to A. T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Toops, 281 U. S. 351, 50 S. Ct. 281. It was held in that case that the injured employee must not only prove negligence of the company, but that the negligence proved was the cause of the injury. This suit is brought under the Federal Employers ’ Liability Act, and, since this act does not define negligence, the question of whether the acts complained of amount to negligence is to be determined according to the common law and according to the rules prevailing in the Federal courts as to what constitutes negligence under the common law. However, there is no difference between the decisions of the Federal court and of this court as to what constitutes negligence. Missouri Pacific Rd. Co v. Shipper, 174 Ark. 1083, 298 S. W. 849.

Moreover, the court gave the jury the following instruction, among others: ‘ ‘ The court instructs you that mere proof of a violent or unusual shock, jar or jerk on a freight train is not sufficient to show that it was caused by the carelessness of the engineer, and the fact that the brakeman suffered an injury caused by such operation of a freight train does not give rise to any presumption of negligence.”

The undisputed evidence shows that appellee was injured by being thrown against the desk at which he was sitting at work in the performance of his duty. The ap-pellee testified: “At the time I was injured I was getting-out a switch list, and was sitting down at a writing desk. The conductor had requested me to do this, and I was engaged at that when I was injured.” He also testified that it was the most violent “run-in” he had ever experienced. He had been engaged in railroading for about twenty years. Had fired and run an engine. He said the violent jar was caused by the improper application of the air by the engineer. He was asked on cross-examination: “In stopping a freight train of that length you would have more or less jerks in the caboose as the slack works out?” and he answered: “Not like the one when I got hurt.” Appellee further testified that the bump in the caboose was caused by the improper application of the air. If it had been applied properly, it wouldn’t have occurred. He said he was certain the brakes were released. He heard the air released through the retainer valves. The air had not gone in the usual way. Another hrakeman, Charles E. Seal, was riding in the cupola of the caboose and could see the slack running in, and he prepared himself. He saw the violent movement of the train and was protecting himself against getting hurt. In that way he avoided injury. The movement was violent.

J. W.

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Bluebook (online)
55 S.W.2d 68, 186 Ark. 537, 1932 Ark. LEXIS 386, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/missouri-pacific-railroad-v-montgomery-ark-1932.