Nina N. Anthony and Graydon Anthony, Partners, D/B/A Graydon Anthony Lumber Company v. Louisiana & Arkansas Railway Company

316 F.2d 858, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 5422
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedApril 30, 1963
Docket17020
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 316 F.2d 858 (Nina N. Anthony and Graydon Anthony, Partners, D/B/A Graydon Anthony Lumber Company v. Louisiana & Arkansas Railway Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nina N. Anthony and Graydon Anthony, Partners, D/B/A Graydon Anthony Lumber Company v. Louisiana & Arkansas Railway Company, 316 F.2d 858, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 5422 (8th Cir. 1963).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

This action was brought by the Railroad to recover from the Lumber Company partners amounts paid an injured railroad brakeman, Herman Cloudy, under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. The case was tried to the court without a jury. The court found for plaintiff in an opinion reported as Louisiana & Arkansas Ry. v. Anthony, D.C.W.D.Ark., 199 F.Supp. 286.

The questions presented on this appeal are:

1. Were appellants guilty of negligence proximately causing Cloudy’s injuries?

2. Was appellee free from negligence and if not, does appellee’s negligence prevent a recovery?

3. Does the agreement of the parties called the “Industry Spur Track Agreement” require appellants to fully indemnify the railroad for the amounts expended because of Cloudy’s injuries?

4. Did the trial court err in finding appellee guilty of passive negligence only and in finding appellants guilty of active negligence ?

The railroad has served the Anthony Lumber Company near Hope, Arkansas, since 1941. At that time an agreement known as an “Industry” or "Spur Track Agreement” was entered into between the Railroad and the Lumber Company and a 671-foot spur track was laid by the Railroad. In 1944 a 66-foot extension was laid pursuant to a supplemental agreement, which so far as material here is like the 1941 agreement. A truck loading shed was constructed just west of the planing mill and south of the-spur track at this time. In 1956 the railroad moved the spur track about eight inches to the north and away from, the loading shed because some of appellee’s boxcars had been striking the shed. In 1957 another “Industry Track Agreement” was entered into extending the-track westward 185 feet.

On May 15, 1959 when the Railroad' was moving out one or two boxcars of woodchips, at a location a car length or so west of the loading shed, brakeman Cloudy fell from a car and received severe fractures and injuries which resulted in the amputation of his right leg above the knee joint. His claim against the Railroad under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act was settled for $35,700.00 and payment of his hospital and medical bill of $2,018.50. This suit was brought to recover these amounts- and for $1,500.00 attorneys fees and expenses. Judgment was for plaintiff.

The factual dispute at the trial centered around the cause of Cloudy’s fall from the boxcar. In turn this dispute-revolves in part around two conflicting-statements given by Cloudy as to whether or not his head struck a portion of the loading shed. Cloudy did not appear as-a witness. By agreement his statements were received as evidence.

The case was tried to the court without a jury. The court found for the-railroad.

The errors assigned, briefly stated, are that notwithstanding the court’s-findings of fact and conclusions of law:

1. There is no substantial evidence-that Cloudy struck any portion of the loading shed.

2. The proximate cause of Cloudy’s injuries was not any negligent act or omission of the Lumber Company.

Discussed as a part of this assignment is the contention that appellee Railroad’s negligence was the proximate cause.

3. The “Spur Track Agreement” does not on the facts of this case require full indemnification.

[861]*861As a background for the factual discussion we need only to review briefly certain principles which have from time to time been stated by this court and which are well set forth in Geer-Melkus Construction Co. v. United States, 8 Cir., 302 F.2d 181, 183, as follows:

“Rule 52(a), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. requires that findings of fact by the trial court ‘shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge of the credibility of the witnesses.’
“Such rule is based upon sound legal principles and has been uniformly applied by the courts. We have repeatedly held that we will not attempt to substitute our judgment, based upon the cold record, for that of the trial court in determining credibility of witnesses and disputed fact issues. The responsibility for determining credibility and disputed fact issues is vested in the trial court. The trial court’s fact findings can be set aside only upon clear demonstration that they were without substantial evidentiary support or induced by an erroneous view of the law. Fact findings supported by substantial evidence cannot be upset. Transport Mfg. & Equip. Co. v. Fruehauf Trailer Co., 8 Cir., 295 F.2d 223, 227; Nelson v. Seaboard Surety Co., 8 Cir., 269 F.2d 882, 886; Pendergrass v. New York Life Ins. Co., 8 Cir., 181 F.2d 136, 138.
“The trier of fact, whether court or jury, is the sole judge of the credibility of witnesses and the weight to be given their testimony. Upon appeal the evidence, including such inferences as may be reasonably ' drawn therefrom, is to be viewed in the light most favorable to the prevailing party. United States v. Stoppelmann, 8 Cir., 266 F.2d 13, 17; Pendergrass v. New York Life Ins. Co., supra.”

The trial court in its findings stated in part:

“There is a factual dispute as to whether Cloudy was struck by an object at all, or whether the object, if one did strike him, was a part of one of the cars or a stationary object. There are two facts which convince the court that it was a stationary object, to-wit, the western corner of the roof line of the truck loading shed, immediately adjacent to the nearest rail of the spur track, which struck Herman Cloudy on his head, thus causing him to fall from the ladder between the cars into the path of the wheels of the last car. The first fact is that the only injury above his waist was a deep gash on the right side of his head. The second fact was that a chipped or splintered place was noted on the end rafter which supported the overhang or roof extension at the west corner of the truck loading shed.”

It is this finding which appellants assigned as their first error. In addition to the evidence mentioned by the trial court, namely, the injury on the right side of his head and a chipped or splintered place on the end rafter supporting the roof overhang, we have conflicting statements of Cloudy. At first he said:

“A. * * * I got on the car, the last car, and got up on the inside, you know, between the cars to go up and let the brake off, and when I started out something struck me in the forehead up there.
******
“Q. You don’t know what hit you?
“A. I don’t know what hit me.
“Q. Do you think the loading shed hit you?
“A. I don’t see how it could. * * * I don’t know what could have struck me.
# S # •S #
“Q. How about the place you had to work there ? For the purpose for [862]

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Bluebook (online)
316 F.2d 858, 1963 U.S. App. LEXIS 5422, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nina-n-anthony-and-graydon-anthony-partners-dba-graydon-anthony-lumber-ca8-1963.