Norton v. Kramer

79 S.W. 699, 180 Mo. 536, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 75
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 17, 1904
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 79 S.W. 699 (Norton v. Kramer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Norton v. Kramer, 79 S.W. 699, 180 Mo. 536, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 75 (Mo. 1904).

Opinion

BBACE., P. J.

This is an appeal by the city of St. Louis, one of the defendants, from a judgment of the St. Louis Circuit Court, in favor of the plaintiff against said defendant, for the sum of two- thousand dollars damages for personal injuries suffered by the plaintiff from a fall upon a sidewalk of said city, alleged to have been caused by the defective and dangerous condition thereof.

Demurrers to the evidence by the other defendants, William Kramer and Nat. Abraham, having been sustained, and the demurrer of the city thereto overruled, the case was submitted to the jury, as to the city, on instructions upon the main issues, as follows:

For Plaintiff.

1. The court instructs the jury that on the 13th day of October, 1900, at the time of the alleged injuries to plaintiff, the defendant (the city of St. Louis), was and had been for a long time, a municipal corporation, having by the terms of its charter the exclusive control and management of its streets and sidewalks thereon, and had exclusive control of the construction of sidewalks thereon, and it was and is the duty of said defendant -to maintain the sidewalks in use by the general public in a reasonably safe condition for persons passing over the same in both the daytime and the nighttime, and'if you believe from the evidence that the sidewalk in question on High street in front of 1019 High street, where it is claimed the said Mrs. Norton was in[540]*540jnred, was not reasonably safe by reason of being torn up, the brick scattered loosely thereon, and so was defective and dangerous to persons passing over the same by day or by night, and such defective condition was known to defendant, or by the exercise of reasonable care on the part of the officers charged with the duty of repairing sidewalks or having them repaired, could have been known to such officers, in time to have remedied such defective condition before the accident to plaintiff, then the defendant and its said officers were guilty of negligence, and if the said Mrs. Norton in the exercise of ordinary care while walking on said sidewalk at the time was hurt and injured, and if the plaintiff has suffered any loss on account thereof, then you will return a verdict for the plaintiff.

2. The court instructs the jury that there is no fixed or definite rule as to the length of time the alleged defective condition of the sidewalk shall have existed in order to charge the defendant with negligence in failing to remedy a defect therein; that each case must depend upon the facts and circumstances attending it. And if you find from the evidence that there was a defect in said sidewalk, by reason of the loose brick and torn up condition thereof and that such defect had existed for a sufficient length of time for the officer or officers of said city whose duty it was to repair said sidewalk or to have the same repaired, by the exercise of ordinary care on their part to have discovered such defect, and such officer or officers had had a reasonable time after such defect might have been discovered in which to repair or cause the same to be repaired and had not done so, then the defendant is guilty of negligence, and if the plaintiff as a result of such negligence, and while in the exercise of ordinary care on her part was hurt and injured, then it is your duty to return a verdict in her favor, and the jury will so find.

3. The jury are instructed that in this case the plaintiff seeks to recover damages for injuries alleged [541]*541to have been received by her on aconnt of -the torn up-' condition of a sidewalk on High street in said city, which it was the duty of the city to keep in repair. Her claim is based upon the negligence of the city in not repairing the defect, and her injury resulting therefrom. ' The defendant, the city of St. Louis, denies both the negligence and the injury. Under the evidence it is for you to determine these questions. It was the duty of the city to keep the sidewalk in repair; the plaintiff-had the right to presume that the duty had been performed and that the sidewalk was in safe condition for the use of the public.

For Defendant.

' 5. If the jury believe and find from the evidence that the injuries sustained by plaintiff were caused by mere accident, mischance or misadventure, without the negligence of either the plaintiff or the defendant, then plaintiff is not entitled to recover, and their verdict must be for the defendant, the city of St. Louis.

6. The court instructs the jury that it is lawful for the city of St. Louis to permit those erecting buildings to place their materials and appliances on the edge of the sidewalk and street, provided enough unobstructed sidewalk and street is left for the safe passage of those passing along the same, while exercising ordinary care. If the jury find from the evidence that the sidewalk at the place where plaintiff claims to have been injured, was of sufficient width and in a reasonably safe condition for the safe passage thereon by those exercising reasonable care, your verdict should be for the defendant, the city of St. Louis.

7. The court instructs the jury that although you find that the sidewalk at the place where plaintiff claims to have been injured was in a dangerous condition, and also find that plaintiff was injured by reason thereof, yet your verdict must be for the defendant, the city of [542]*542St. Louis, unless you find from the evidence that the city had knowledge of said dangerous condition of said sidewalk for a sufficient length of time prior to plaintiff’s injury, to, by the exercise of reasonable care, have remedied said condition and made the same safe, or, that the said condition had existed for a sufficient length of time, prior to plaintiff’s injury, for the city in the exercise of reasonable care to have discovered and remedied the same. The city is not an insurer of the safety of persons using its sidewalks. Its liability is only to see that the public sidewalks of the city are in a reasonably safe condition, and in such a condition that persons can safely pass over the same when they exercise ordinary care.

(1) The admission of the evidence of Christian F. Schneider, a witness for plaintiff, is assigned- as error. That evidence and the objection thereto appears in the record in manner as follows:

“My name is Christian F. Schneider; I am a lawyer; I practice in the city of St. Louis.

“Q. Are you familiar with the surroundings at 1019 High street? A. "Well, I examined them about the time Mrs. Norton was hurt — shortly after.

“Q. Did you examine the sidewalk and condition of it? A. I did.

“Q. You may state, Mr. Schneider, what condition you found it in. ’ ’

Counsel for defendants object to the question as immaterial and irrelavant as to the condition at that time.

“Court: Mr. Schneider testified it was about the time Mrs. Norton was hurt. Objection overruled.

“To which ruling of the court counsel for defendants then and-there duly excepted.

“A. My recollection is that it was brick, it was a brick walk in front of the property that was owned by Mr. Kramer on High street on which he was building a two-story brick house. My recollection is now that [543]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
79 S.W. 699, 180 Mo. 536, 1904 Mo. LEXIS 75, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/norton-v-kramer-mo-1904.