Scott v. Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad

148 N.W. 719, 182 Mich. 514, 1914 Mich. LEXIS 831
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 2, 1914
DocketDocket No. 12
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 148 N.W. 719 (Scott v. Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad, 148 N.W. 719, 182 Mich. 514, 1914 Mich. LEXIS 831 (Mich. 1914).

Opinion

Kuhn, J.

A complete statement of the facts in this case is found in the two opinions of this court when the case was here before, reported in 169 Mich. 265 (135 N. W. 110). Being sent back for a new trial, a verdict and judgment thereon was again had for plaintiff, and the case is again brought here by writ of error. The assignments of error have been grouped, and it is urged that the case should be again reversed because:

(1) The exact cause of the accident was not proved, and the jury were allowed to guess and speculate as to it; (2) contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff’s decedent; (3) errors committed before the jury; and (4) refusal to grant a new trial.

It was the opinion of the majority of this court when] [516]*516the case was here before that as to how and where the injury occurred upon the record as made was a matter of pure conjecture. It is the claim of plaintiff’s counsel that upon the retrial of the cause material changes in the facts were shown. The claimed material changes are set forth in their brief as follows:

“In this present record the exact place is shown where Gibbs was standing at the time of his injury to be at the north of the rails and about halfway between the switch and the block — if anything, closer to the block. This is' shown by Exhibit 1, the testimony of Betterly, and also the testimony of defendant’s witness Frances Biskie. It also shows that the distance between the throw rail of the split switch and the main rail at the point of the switch when open is 3*4 inches, instead of 5 V2 inches, as therein stated, and it narrows to 2% inches in 3 feet from the end. The speed of the train at the time of the injury is shown to be 3 or 4 miles an hour, instead of 5 miles miles, as stated in the opinion. We also call the court’s-attention to the fact that the eyelets of the shoe (Exhibit 4) show the strain on them. This is to be considered with reference to the other facts as to the condition of the shoe, as it was found directly after the accident. It is also shown conclusively that there were no places between the switch and the block where one’s foot could get caught and held, as it is shown that Gibbs was, instead of there being 21 places, as indicated in the former opinion.”

The plaintiff rested his case before, and does now, upon the claim that the decedent caught his foot at the defective blocking. A reading of the opinion of Mr. Justice McAlvay shows that it was the opinion of the majority of the court that, as it appeared from the evidence, at about the place at which it was claimed plaintiff’s decedent stood there were 12 places, exclusive of the defective blocking, into which his foot could have been caught if he caught his foot at all, it was just as probable that Gibbs’ foot was caught in this [517]*517“gridiron of holes” as in the defective blocking, and that therefore the case should not have been submitted to a jury, as the verdict must necessarily rest upon conjecture or guess.

Upon the new trial testimony was introduced to show that it was impossible for Gibbs to have caught his foot in these places referred to in the former opinion. Mr. Van Auken, plaintiff’s witness, testified in part as follows:

“I heard of Mr. Gibbs’ death when I was at Vanderbilt. It was the 12th day of June, 1909. I drove there the same evening. I was at the place where he met his death first the next morning. That was Sunday. I made an examination of the surroundings. It was just east of the switch by the cooperage. I knew the street called Mill street here. It was west of Mill street — the first switch west of Mill street. Homer Scott was with me. I went down again in the afternoon. Mike Poquette was with me then, I think, and Mr. Betterly come over there. There were several around there. Homer Scott was back again at this time, I think. In the morning I was there half an hour to an hour, perhaps; in the afternoon about the same. I was there later. I think it was about a week’s time after that when I went after the goods. Mr. Betterly and Mr. Scott, I believe, and another gentleman were with me. At subsequent times I was there; I could not tell how many times. The third time was about a week after. I was there on Sunday; I remember that; and I was there Monday morning, and after-wards before we came away. Sunday morning I was there first; then Sunday afternoon and Monday morning; then when I went over after the goods I was there again; and I was there about the middle of July, the same year — July 13th. Mr. Betterly was with me, and Mr. Devere Hall was with me there. I know Mr. Durfee. He was formerly sheriff of the county. I think he was there at the time I went over after the goods. From the first time I saw this switch and the ground around it, and the rails and those other things connected with the location, there was no change in it at all down to July 13th, that I could dis[518]*518cover. I looked with that in mind. It was the same as on the Sunday following the death. On the 13th of July I took measurements that I made records of. Mr. Betterly was with me at my request. * * *
“Q. Now, Mr. Van Auken, did you make any experiment to determine the places where the foot of one would be caught about the switch?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. How many different times did you do that?
“A. I could not tell you, so many of them.
“Q. Well, did you do it the first time you was there?
“A. I did.
“Q. And each time you was there?
“A. Yes, sir; I don’t remember of ever being there but what I tried it, until the last time I was there— next to the last time I was there — then things were all changed.
“Q. What was the result of your experiments between the ties north of the rails from the switch east?
“A. There is no chance for a foot to be caught.
“Q. Well, did it catch?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. What was the result of your experiments inside of those two rails from the switch east?
“A. My foot would not catch there, did not.
“Q. Well, did it on any of those occasions?
“A. It did not.
“Q. Did you make any experiments with reference to the place were the point of the rail — the split rail— and the main track rail came together near the switch?
“A. I did.
“Q. Well, what did you do there?
“A. Foot wouldn’t catch there.
“Q. That was where the space was 3% inches?
“A. That was at the point of the switch rail up to where it was so narrow that the foot would not go in.
“Q. Now, when you put the foot in there, what would be the result?
“A. Draw out.
“Q. What was the surface of the side of a split rail next to the main line rail?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
148 N.W. 719, 182 Mich. 514, 1914 Mich. LEXIS 831, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-boyne-city-gaylord-alpena-railroad-mich-1914.