Sanders v. Southern Ry. Co.

21 So. 2d 673, 246 Ala. 546, 1945 Ala. LEXIS 259
Supreme Court of Alabama·Decided March 8, 1945·No. 6 Div. 235.·Published

Opinion

FOSTER, Justice.

The question in this case is whether there was a primary duty on defendant’s engineer operating a train of cars in respect to speed or lookout for an employee of another railroad operating a train approaching in the opposite direction and who had been sent forward to flag defendant’s train, and was near the end of a trestle around a curve from the approach of defendant’s train, and did not clear the trestle. He was on a projecting timber called a bent, which extended twelve or fourteen inches from the end of the crossties, but was hit by defendant’s train in passing him.

There was a verdict for defendant. Plaintiff complains of error in giving some charges to the jury for defendant; two of which, S and 11, are as follows: '

*548 “S. Gentlemen of the jury, I charge that you cannot find a verdict for the plaintiff based on any action or lack of action on the part of engineer Keenum before he actually saw plaintiff’s intestate.”
“11. Gentlemen of the jury, the court charges you that there was no duty on engineer Keenum to keep a lookout for plaintiff’s intestate.”

The track was owned by defendant, and operated under its rules. Defendant’s train rules 87 and 99 were as follows:

“87. An inferior train must keep out of the way of opposing superior trains and failing to clear the main track by the time required by rule must be protected as prescribed by rule 99.”
“99. When a train stops under circumstances in which it may be overtaken by another train, the flagman must go back immediately with flagman’s signals a sufficient distance to insure full protection, (not less than one-half mile and further on descending grades or when view is obscured) placing two torpedoes, one rail length apart, on the rail on engineman’s side of track, and when necessary, in addition, display a lighted fuse. * * *
“The front of the train must be protected when necessary by the front brakeman or baggageman, if available, otherwise by the fireman.”

The principles of law by which the question is to be determined seem to be fairly well settled. The train of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad was going north on the same track on which defendant’s train was going south. Plaintiff’s intestate was out in front to protect the train of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio, his employer under rule 99. It was a freight train, No. 58, and defendant’s was a passenger train, No. 1, and had superiority over the freight, and was running on orders known to both engineers. It was therefore the duty of the freight train to look out for and be out of the way of the passenger, running pursuant to orders known to both of them, or protect itself under rule 99. At the point where the freight train stopped, there was no passing track, but a switch to a mine. The freight could have waited at Parrish, further down the road at a side track. The passenger train engineer did not know where the freight train was, but knew it was its duty to be out of his way (or protect itself under rule 99), and could assume that duty would be discharged. Central of Georgia R. Co. v. Martin, 138 Ala. 531, 36 So. 426.

In that case, where the two trains of different companies using the same track collided, it was said: “This fact, in and of itself, imposed a duty of watchfulness and care upon each of said companies toward the other in the conservation of the safety of the trains .and employees of the other, and liability upon each for failing to discharge this duty whereby injuries' should be inflicted upon the property of the other or upon the persons of the other’s employees.” But “he (the engineer) was not bound to have and keep his engine so in hand, and running at such rate of speed as at all times to be able to stop it short of collision with another train, which it had no reason to believe was there at all in a position to be collided with.” • And again: “Everybody knows that all trains upon- the same main line are operated to the avoidance of collisions with other trains, by orders and signals given, for the most part by a central and higher authority, directly to trainmen in respect to the movement of their respective trains.”

The general rule is that “in the absence of statute or ordinance a railroad ordinarily owes no duty of keeping a lookout, to give signals of approach or to reduce tfye speed of trains in anticipation that sectionmen, trackwalkers, flagmen and others employed along the line of track may be found upon the track, such employees being presumed to be familiar with * * * the schedules of trains, * * * (but) the rule does not apply where there are special circumstances (as in Louisville & Nashville R. Co. v. Parker, 223 Ala. 626 [see, Bouldin, J., page 653], 138 So. 231), or when the presence of employees in a particular place should have been anticipated, and particularly in the case of employees engaged in making repairs.” 39 Corpus Juris 459, 460, section 576; Louisville & Nashville R. Co. v. Williams, 199 Ala. 453, 74 So. 382. But “no rate of speed, reasonably necessary to the purposes of rapid transportation of freight and passengers, and to make connections, amounts to negligence per se.” Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. v. Jackson, 221 Ala. 646, 130 So. 388, 389.

There is no ground for serious contention in this case that defendant’s engineer owed the decedent any duty as to speed or signals or lookout, unless there was reason for him to anticipate the presence of decedent in a dangerous position on the *549 track around the curve in the direction in which defendant’s train was moving. Charges S and 11, supra, were properly given if the engineer operating defendant’s train had no reason to anticipate the presence of decedent in such a dangerous position.

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Sanders v. Southern Ry. Co., 21 So. 2d 673, 246 Ala. 546, 1945 Ala. LEXIS 259 (Ala. 1945).

21 So. 2d 673 (Sanders v. Southern Ry. Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Louisville N. R. Co. v. Parker
138 So. 231 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1931)
Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. v. Jackson
130 So. 388 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1930)
Central of Georgia Railway Co. v. Martin
138 Ala. 531 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1903)
Louisville & Nashville R. R. v. Williams
74 So. 383 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1916)