Peck v. Oregon Short Line Railroad

69 P. 153, 25 Utah 21, 1902 Utah LEXIS 36
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJune 18, 1902
DocketNo. 1363
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 69 P. 153 (Peck v. Oregon Short Line Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peck v. Oregon Short Line Railroad, 69 P. 153, 25 Utah 21, 1902 Utah LEXIS 36 (Utah 1902).

Opinion

BARTCH, J.

This action was brought to recover damages for personal injuries alleged to have been received by the plaintiff through the negligence of the defendant in the operation of its railroad. It was alleged in the complaint, among other things, that the accident which resulted in this suit occurred in the city of Lehi, where the defendant’s railroad track crosses one of the public streets; that there was an ordinance prohibiting the running of trains' at a greater rate of speed than eight miles an hour within the inhabited portions of the city; that on the occasion of the accident the train was running at a rate of speed greater than that allowed by the ordinance, and was run carelessly in approaching the crossing ; and that neither its whistle was sounded nor its bell rung. Erom the evidence it appears that the accident happened on the morning of December 4, 1899, in the inhabited portion of the city of Lehi,- at a point where the defendant’s railroad track crosses Peck street; that in approaching the crossing along Peck street the plaintiff’s view of the railroad to- the south — the direction from which the train in question came —was obstructed by a grove of trees, underbrush, and a small house, except that before reaching the house, which is about twenty-five feet from the railroad track, an approaching train might have been seen at one place by looking through the grove of trees; that on the morning of the accident the plaintiff was driving his team, consisting of two horses and a wagon, along Peck street toward the railroad on a trot* but before reaching the crossing he reduced the speed to a slow walk; that [25]*25in approaching the crossing be looked and listened for trains, but did not stop; that as be bad passed the obstructions, which interfered with bis view, and saw the train, bis horses were stepping upon the track, and before be could back them off the engine struck them, and caused the injuries complained of; that it was a passenger train, running at the rate of at least fifteen — some witnesses say thirty-five to forty — miles an hour, the ordinance providing for a rate of speed at that place not to exceed eight miles an hour; and that this train was fifteen minutes late, and the plaintiff thought it had passed. As to whether the whistle was sounded either for the crossing or station, and as to whether the bell was rung, there is a conflict in the evidence, but the proof seems to preponderate against the defendant on these points. Upon the submission of the case to the jury a verdict in the sum of $4,650 was returned in favor of the plaintiff, and judgment was entered accordingly.

On this appeal various assignments of error are based upon the admission and rejection of evidence, but upon careful examination and consideration we are of the opinion that none of them are fatal to the judgment. It is, however, further contended that the court erred in refusing to submit to the jury appellant’s request which reads as follows: 1 “The duty of a traveler upon a highway at a railroad crossing to look and listen and to use care for the purpose of discovering the approach of the train before undertaking to pass over the railroad exists upon every occasion of his approaching such crossing. He is not relieved or excused from exercising the care required of him for the reason that he approaches such crossing shortly after a regular train is due, or supposed by him to have passed, or in fact has passed. The railroad track itself is an admonition of danger, and the railroad company has a right to run its train over the track at regular periods, or as special or extra trains, or in the event of their being behind time, the same as upon the regular [26]*26schedule; and tbe obligation to look and listen is one from which the traveler is at no time excused upon approaching and preparing to cross a railroad at grade.” Instead of giving the above request verbatim, the court charged the jury in language following: “Negligence of the defendant in the omission to sound its whistle or ring its bell, or in running its locomotive and cars at an unusual or unlawful rate of speed, if you find such was the case, did not relieve the plaintiff from the exercise of care on his part to avoid the accident complained of. It was his duty, on approaching the railroad track, to use his senses of sight and hearing to ascertain whether or not a train was approaching upon the railroad track from either direction; and if there was a grove of trees or obstructions or other objects that intercepted his vision, and prevented him from seeing the approaching train, in the direction in which it came, then the law imposed upon him greater care to discover whether or not the train was approaching, by the exercise of the sense of hearing. Therefore, the court instructs you that if you find that the defendant was guilty of either or any of the negligent acts of commission or omission charged in the complaint, and you further find that the plaintiff, as he approached the track at the point where the accident occurred, could have discovered the approach of the train by looking and listening, but that he omitted to exercise such care, and was careless and negligent, and thereby, and as a consequence thereof, because of his negligence, omitted and failed to discover the approach of the train until it was too late to avoid the accident, then the injury of which he complains was the result not of the sole negligence of the defendant, but was a result of his own negligence co-operating with that of the defendant, if you find that the defendant was so negligent — ■ then in that event the plaintiff would not be entitled to recover in this case.” The court further charged that “the rights of a traveler on a highway at a point where it is crossed on a level by a railroad are so far subordinate to the railroad com[27]*27pany as to -require the traveler to give way to any train which is in sight or hearing and approaching said crossing, and so near said crossing as to make it doubtful whether he can cross in perfect safety.” From a comparison of appellant’s request with these instructions, it is obvious that the refusal to charge in the exact language requested was not error. In its instructions the court gave not only the substance of the request, and charged the jury that the plaintiff was bound to make use of his senses of sight and hearing, and to use reasonable care to discover the approach of the train, and that his rights at the crossing were so far subordinate to those of the railway company that he was required to give way to the train if in sight or hearing, but further instructed them, in effect, that, notwithstanding any negligent acts of commission or omission charged in the complaint, still, if the plaintiff “could have discovered the approach of the train” in time to avoid the accident, hv the use of his sense of sight or hearing, he could not recover. This was stronger and more favorable to the appellant than it had a right to request, for we apprehend the question was not whether the plaintiff could, hy any possibility, as the instruction would seem to imply, have discovered the train, hut whether, by the exercise of reasonable care — such care as a reasonably prudent man, under all the circumstances, would have exercised — the plaintiff could have discovered the approaching train, and avoided the accident, notwithstanding the. negligence of the defendant. If, therefore, the court committed error in its action on this point, the error was in favor of the railway company, and hence it has no cause to complain because thereof.

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

Related

Sides v. St. Anthony's Medical Center
258 S.W.3d 811 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 2008)
Harvey v. Havener
340 P.2d 1084 (Montana Supreme Court, 1959)
Steed v. Rio Grande Western Ry. Co.
82 P. 476 (Utah Supreme Court, 1905)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 P. 153, 25 Utah 21, 1902 Utah LEXIS 36, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peck-v-oregon-short-line-railroad-utah-1902.