Moore v. Stetson

52 A. 767, 96 Me. 197, 1902 Me. LEXIS 64
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedFebruary 24, 1902
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 52 A. 767 (Moore v. Stetson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Moore v. Stetson, 52 A. 767, 96 Me. 197, 1902 Me. LEXIS 64 (Me. 1902).

Opinion

Fogler, J.

This is an action of case in which the plaintiff seeks to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by him through the alleged negligence of the defendants. The verdict was for the plaintiff, and the defendants bring the case here upon exceptions and also upon a motion for new trial. There is little controversy, if any, between the parties, as to the facts, which are substantially as follows:

The defendants were the owners 'of a marine railway situate in Brewer on the Penobscot river. In May, 1897, the owners of the steamer “Golden Bod,” desiring to have that steamer repaired, cleaned and painted, entered into a contract, orally, through Capt. [199]*199Crosby, master of the steamer, with the defendants, by the terms of which the defendants' were to take the steamer out of the water upon their railway and to return her to the water when the repairs were finished, for a certain sum. The owners of the steamer were to have the use and occupancy of the railway for the purpose of repairing their steamboat until the repairs and other necessary work were finished. The steamboat owners were to employ their own men and furnish their own materials. For the use of the railway while the repairs were being made the steamboat owners were to pay the defendants five dollars per day. Under this agreement the defendants took the steamer out of the water, and the steamboat owners entered into the occupancy, and had the use of the railway until the repairs were completed. The defendants neither exercised nor attempted to exercise any control or management of the railway while it was occupied by the steamer. The steamboat owners employed the men and furnished the materials for the repairs and other work upon the steamer. The plaintiff was mate of the steamer Golden Nod ” and was employed by the owners of the steamer in the work of repairs from the time the steamer was placed upon the railway until he met with the injury for which he claims damages.

In the construction of the railway two permanent stationary tracks extend from the shore into the river below high-water mark. Upon these tracks are two bed-pieces. These bed-pieces rest lengthwise on the tracks or rails so they will slide up and down, and are connected and held together by large cross-sills. Upon these bed-pieces and cross-sills, rests the cradle upon which the vessel lies when upon the railway. Upon the above named bed-pieces are large blocks of granite which are placed there as ballast, in order to hold the bed-pieces down upon the tracks or rails when they are slid into the water. One of these granite blocks, so placed, was irregular in shape, being two and five-tenths feet wide at one end and one and seven-tenths feet wide at the other end and one and one-half feet high, and rested on a bed-piece twelve inches wide. This stone was not, at the time the plaintiff was injured, securely and firmly fastened to the bed-piece upon which it rested, but had become so loosened that it canted or tipped when a man stepped or walked upon it.

[200]*200On the day when the plaintiff met with the accident, he Avas employed in painting the steamer. A plank rested on the cross-pieces between the rock and the vessel Avhich the plaintiff Avished to use upon a staging which ran along the side of the steamer. He stepped upon this rock and stood facing the vessel. The plank Avas six inches, or thereabouts, loAver than the rock upon which he stood. As the plaintiff stooped downward and forward to pick up the plank, the rock, as he testifies, slid forward and caught his leg betAveen the rock and the plank, and the bone of his leg was thereby broken and he brings this action against the defendant to recover damages for that injury.

It is not claimed that the defendants or their agents kneAV that the stone had become loosened, Avhile Capt. Crosby, master of the steamer and agent of her owners, testifies that he knew that the stone “teetered” and that he gave no notice of the fact to either the plaintiff’ or the defendants.

The defendants’ exceptions, after stating the case, arc as folloAvs:

“The defendants requested the court tó instruct the jury as follows:
“1. If Capt. Crosby kneAV the stone teetered (and he testifies that he did) and by reason thereof the place Avas rendered dangerous to work in, because the stone Avas loose, and Capt. Crosby did not notify the plaintiff of the fact, and ordered or alloAved the plaintiff to Avork in such place of danger under such circumstances, Avithout notifying the plaintiff of the danger, the negligence of Capt. Crosby in not notifying the plaintiff of the danger and in ordering or allowing the plaintiff 'to Avork in the place lmoAvn to Capt. Crosby to be dangerous, Avithout notifying the plaintiff of the danger, Avoidd constitute negligence on the part of the steamboat company. Therefore, these defendants cannot be held liable in this action, because the negligence of the steamboat company AAras intervening negligence of a third person Avho can be held liable to. the plaintiff in an action therefor.
“2. If the jury find that the defendants Avere negligent, and if Capt. Crosby knew the stone teetered (and he testifies that he did) and there being no proof that the defendants, or their agents or servants, knew the stone teetered, and because the stone Avas inse[201]*201curely fastened, the place 3vas tlius rendered dangerous to work in, and Capt. Crosby did not iiotify either the plaintiff or the defendants, or their agents or servants, of the fact that the stone was loose, and Capt. Crosby either ordered or alloived the plaintiff to work in the place, under the circumstances, the steamboat company, which Capt. Crosby represented, would be liable to the plaintiff for knowingly allowing the plaintiff to thus work in a place of danger without notifying him of the danger; and the negligence of the steamboat company being subsequent to any negligence on the part of the defendants, and because Capt. Crosby had knowledge of the negligence of the defendants (if they were negligent) and due care on the part of Capt. Crosby toward plaintiff) and the performance of duty which was upon Capt. Crosby, to notify the plaintiff of the danger, would have prevented the injury, these defendants cannot be held liable to plaintiff" in this action.
o. The defendants were under no duty to have the stone so securely fastened that it would be safe to walk upon.
“ 4. By the agreement between Capt. Crosby and these defendants the relation of lessor and'lessee'was established, and the owners of the Golden Rod were occupying the railway as tenants: hence these defendants cannot be held liable in this action.
“ 5. The rock or stone was used for the piirpose of sinking the ways. It served its purpose and the accident did not occur because the rock was so placed upon the way that it failed to sink it. The rock was entirely visible to the eye of the plaintiff) and the purpose which it served and the position it occupied was self-evident. It was apparent that it was intended to sink the ways and was not intended to be walked upon.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
52 A. 767, 96 Me. 197, 1902 Me. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moore-v-stetson-me-1902.