Neel v. Ryus

130 S.W. 76, 149 Mo. App. 111, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 878
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 7, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 130 S.W. 76 (Neel v. Ryus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Neel v. Ryus, 130 S.W. 76, 149 Mo. App. 111, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 878 (Mo. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

GRAY, J.

June 6, 1908, this action was instituted in the Jasper county circuit court for damages for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiff while employed by the defendants, in working and performing carpenter work for them on a platform adjoining a building in the city of Joplin, then being constructed by the defendants on contract.

The defendants were engaged in erecting a brick building in the city of Joplin, about 125 or 150 feet in length. At the time complained of, the east wall was under construction and was all finished to within twenty or thirty feet of the north end, and defendant’s employees were engaged in finishing the work on the north end of the east wall at the time of the alleged accident. The plaintiff was engaged in laying heavy boards on a platform immediately adjoining the building on the east. This platform was about ten feet wide and extended along the full length of the building on the east [114]*114side, and was but a few feet from the ground. The construction of the platform was also a part of tbe contract of the defendants for the erection of the building, and plaintiff was engaged as a servant of the defendants working on the platform. "While he was at work, a part of the wall then being constructed, fell upon him, fractured his skull and otherwise injured him.

The petition alleges that the wall was carelessly and negligently erected and constructed, and was unsafe and dangerous and that the defendants had knowledge thereof, or could have had knowledge thereof by the exercise of ordinary care and diligence, and that a portion of said wall, by reason of the negligent construction and erection thereof, fell upon the plaintiff and injured him.

The answer was a general denial and a plea of contributory negligence. The trial was before a jury, resulting in a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $250, upon which, in due time, judgment was rendered and the defendants, after an unsuccessful effort to secure a new trial, have appealed to this court.

After the jury had been sworn to try the case, and when plaintiff called his first witness, the defendants objected to the introduction of any testimony, for the reason that the petition did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. Whereupon the plaintiff asked and was granted permission to amend his petition by interlineation. The action of the court in permitting the amendment is assigned as error. The statute permits amendments and if the defendant is not ready to meet the issues as made by the amendment, the statute also points out the steps for him to take. Appellants did not take the steps required by the statute, and therefore, are precluded from challenging the court’s action in permitting the amendment.

The appellants complain that the court committed error in permitting the plaintiff to offer testimony of loss of time, and that the court also erred in permitting [115]*115the recovery of such damages by instructions given. The petition alleges: “Plaintiff was and is by reason of said injuries, wholly disabled from working at his trade and will so continue until such time as it may be necessary for his wounds and injuries to heal.”

Coontz v. Railroad, 115 Mo. l. c. 674, 22 S. W. 572, sustains appellants’ contention, but the later cases, Gurley v. Railroad, 122 Mo. 141, 26 S. W. 953; Smith v. Railroad, 119 Mo. 246, 23 S. W. 784; Wilbur v. Railroad, 110 Mo. App. 689, 85 S. W. 671; Keen v. Railroad, 129 Mo. App. 301, 108 S. W. 1125, hold the allegation sufficient to authorize the plaintiff - to recover for loss of time.

There are some other objections to the action of the court relating to the damages, but the evidence shows that the plaintiff’s skull was. fractured, and the jury only allowed him |250. Certainly the verdict was exceedingly moderate, and under the facts we do not feel justified in disturbing the verdict even though we should find some technical error may have been committed by the court in the introduction of testimony relating to plaintiff’s damages. [Panos v. American Car & Foundry Co., 126 S. W. 815.]

It is next insisted that the court should have sustained the demurrer to the evidence at the close of plaintiff’s case. The plaintiff testified that he was at work on the platform, and while so engaged, a part of the brick wall then being constructed fell upon him. The bricklayers were finishing the north end of the east wall, and it was this part of the wall that fell and injured the plaintiff. One of the defendants was upon the building and observed the manner in which the work was being done, and plaintiff’s testimony shows that after the accident he declared that the wall fell because it was not properly tied, and that he knew it was dangerous; that he also declared “they got in a big hurry and didn’t have it properly tied.” This testimony was sufficient to take the plaintiff’s case to the jury.

[116]*116The defendant offered testimony to the effect that they notified the plaintiff to watch the bricklayers and not to work under them, as there was danger; also that during the afternoon the bricklayers repeatedly notified plaintiff to keep out from under the place where they were laying brick, as bricks were liable to fall upon them; also testimony that just before the plaintiff was injured defendants’ foreman notified him to gather up his tools and get on the inside of the building.

The evidence shows that during the afternoon, a very strong wind came up and was blowing so hard that it ,was with great • difficulty the men performed their work.

Having decided that plaintiff’s case was one for the jury, and that no errors were committed in the introduction of testimony,, the judgment must be affirmed, unless there is substantial error against the appellants found in the instructions.

The instructions given in behalf of the plaintiff required the jury to find the employment of the plaintiff, the exercise of ordinary care on his part; that the wall was carelessly and negligently constructed, and by reason thereof, fell upon the plaintiff and caused his injuries.

In behalf of the defendant, the court gave an instruction that if the wall was caused to fall by reason of the strong wind and not by the negligence of the defendants, plaintiff was not entitled to recover; that defendants were only charged with the exercise of ordinary care, and if the jury found that defendants exercised ordinary care in the construction and erection of the north end of the east wall of the building, and employed bricklayers ordinarily skilled and careful in their labor, and furnished the class and character of bricks and mortar ordinarily used for such purposes, then they were not liable; also it was not enough for the plaintiff to prove that the wall fell and injured him, and such fact alone [117]*117was not sufficient to establish negligence, but before the plaintiff could recover, he must prove by the greater weight or preponderance of the evidence, that the defendants were guilty of negligence, and that such negligence was the proximate cause of the injury complained of.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Kelley v. Stout Lumber Co.
263 P. 881 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1928)
Flenner v. Southwest Missouri Railroad
290 S.W. 78 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1926)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 S.W. 76, 149 Mo. App. 111, 1910 Mo. App. LEXIS 878, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/neel-v-ryus-moctapp-1910.