Romona Oolitic Stone Co. v. Phillips

2 Ind. App. 118
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 20, 1894
DocketNo. 1,047
StatusPublished

This text of 2 Ind. App. 118 (Romona Oolitic Stone Co. v. Phillips) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Romona Oolitic Stone Co. v. Phillips, 2 Ind. App. 118 (Ind. Ct. App. 1894).

Opinions

Davis, J.

This was an action by an employe against his employer for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained in the course of his employment. It was tried by a jury four times in the Morgau Circuit Court. The [120]*120first verdict was set aside by Judge Grubbs. It was next tried before the Hon. John V. Hadley, who set aside the second verdict returned in favor of appellee. The Hon. Henry C. Duncan, a practicing attorney, was then appointed special judge to preside in the cause. The first trial before him resulted in a disagreement of the jury. On the second trial before Judge Duncan a verdict was returned in favor of appellee for $1,500.

Over a motion for a new trial, as well as other motions made in the cause, judgment was rendered upon this verdict. Exceptions were duly reserved to various rulings of the trial judge, and this appeal is prosecuted from the judgment so rendered.

Several assignments of error are made. The complaint upon which the judgment appealed from was rendered is in two paragraphs. The assignments of error with respect to these are:

1st. That the court erred in overruling a demurrer by the appellant to the entire complaint.

2d. That the court erred in overruling a demurrer by the appellant to the first paragraph of the complaint.

3d. That the court erred in overruling a like demurrer to the second paragraph of the complaint.

4th. That the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.

These assignments may be considered together. The first paragraph of the complaint was filed in the Owen Circuit Court, from which the venue was subsequently changed to the Morgan Circuit Court. This first paragraph avers in substance that the appellee was in the employ of the appellant which was engaged in the business of quarrying and dressing stone in Owen county, Indiana; that appellee as such employe was engaged in this work; that his particular employment was in connection with the operation of a planer used to plane [121]*121stones of large dimensions; that said planer was a machine operated by steam power, and consisting in part of a crosshead which carried certain bits made of iron and steel, and which were brought in contact with the stone to be planed, and made the surfaces thereof smooth; this-crosshead -weighed 16,000 pounds; that it was necessary in the prosecution of the work to occasionally raise and lower the crosshead in which these bits were placed; that it was so raised and lowered, when the machinery was in proper condition, by means of a large wooden pulley placed above .it, around which ran a lárge belt, which also ran upon a smaller pulley attached to the planer below; that when this belt was of proper strength and tension, and the pulleys in proper position the crosshead was easily raised and lowered by means thereof without danger to employes operating the planer; that prior to the 20th day of February, 1890, the belt and pulleys had, from improper adjustment, long continued use and wear, become out of repair, worn and insufficient to raise and lower the crosshead, whereby the machine became unsafe and dangerous to employes operating it; that by reason of the defective condition of the machine, as the result of said defects, it became necessary, in order to operate said machine, for employes, while hoisting and raising the crosshead, to stand in front of the belt and press upon it with great force with an iron rod held in the hand in order to increase its tension and make it lift the crosshead; that appellee, for several weeks prior to said 20th day of February, had been employed as an assistant in the operation of this planer, and that said machine gradually failed, from said defects, to perform its functions, and as the belt failed to raise the crosshead, he from time to time notified the appellant company of its impaired and dangerous condition, and that the appellant company, in each [122]*122and every instance, promised to repair and put the. same in proper condition, but negligently, carelessly and without excuse failed and neglected so to do; that appellee, relying upon these promises and assurances, and believing that the. machinery would be repaired and rendered safe, continued in the employment and in the performance of the hazardous duties-mentioned, for several weeks prior to said 20th day of February; and that upon said day, while engaged in the line of his employment and in the operation and management of the planer, under the direction of appellant’s managers and superintendents, and without any carelessness, default or negligence on his part, and while in the exercise of proper caution, and owing wholly to the defective condition of said machinery as above alleged, appellee’s right hand was caught in said belting and pulleys and crushed, lacerated and otherwise injured, that such injury was permanent, and caused great suffering.

Judgment for $10,000 is asked.

The first trial of the cause was upon this paragraph of the complaint; but before the second trial a second and additional paragraph was filed. This paragraph contains the same allegations as the first with reference to the appellant corporation and the business in which it was engaged, and also with respect to the kind of machinery by which such business was carried on, and then proceeds to allege that while the plaintiff was engaged as a helper upon the planer, he was caught in the belts, pulleys and wheels of the machinery while they were running at great speed, and was thereby greatly injured; that his injury occurred solely as the result of the dangerous, defective and unsafe condition of said machinery, which had, by improper adjustment of its pulleys, shafts, belts and the machinery used in turning the power on and off the same, and by becoming worn, weak and out of [123]*123repair, become unsafe and dangerous to employes engaged in the performance of their duties; that this dangerous, defective and unsafe condition of the machinery was well known to the appellant company, and that it had frequently promised to repair and readjust the same so that it would safely and properly perform its functions; that the appellant carelessly, negligently and without any excuse failed to make such repairs, but with full knowledge of its defective condition negligently permitted the same to remain out of repair; that appellee, relying upon the said promises, continued in the employment to the day of his injury, and while exercising due care, and without any fault or negligence on his part, but as a result of the dangerous and defective condition of the machinery, he was caught therein and injured.

There are similar averments as to the extent of the injury, pain resulting therefrom, etc., as those in the first paragraph of the complaint, and the damages demanded are $5,000.

To the first paragraph of the complaint, while it stood as the only complaint in the action, a demurrer for the want of facts was filed and overruled. Asimilar demurrer was filed to the second additional paragraph and also overruled and proper exception reserved.

Counsel for appellant contend that the first paragraph of the complaint under consideration does not aver negligence on the part of the appellant occasioning appellee’s injury.

This is the only point suggested or discussed as to the sufficiency of the complaint. No question is raised in argument on this branch of the case in relation to contributory negligence or assumption of the risk on the part of appellee.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Ind. App. 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/romona-oolitic-stone-co-v-phillips-indctapp-1894.