St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co. of Texas v. McCrearry

35 S.W.2d 790
Court of Appeals of Texas·Decided January 13, 1931·No. No. 3934·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

WILLSON, C. J.

(after stating the case as above).

It will be noted that the jury found, among other things, that the engineer operating the train discovered and realized that McCrearry was in a perilous position in time, by the use of means at hand, consistent with the safety of the train and those riding thereon, to have so operated the train-as to prevent its striking McCrearry, and found, further, (1) that said engineer failed to use such means, (2) that such failure ~was negligence, and (3) that such negligence was a proximate cause of McCrear-ry’s death. Unless error entered into the findings specified, they furnished a sufficient support for a judgment in appellee’s favor for some amount, and it is not contended here that the sum found by the jury was excessive.

At the trial appellant objected to the submission of the issues resulting in the findings just specified, on the ground that the evidence did not warrant the submission of such issues, and with reference to such issues requested the court to charge the jury as follows:

(1) “You are instructed that the defendant ' railway company has in law a right to use its tracks upon and over crossings, as well as elsewhere, in the operation of its trains superior to that of the deceased McCrearry. And it is not incumbent upon the railroad company to slow down or stop its trains because, another person is walking or running along a roadway or pathway, running along with its tracks theh in use.” (2) “Though you may believe from the evidence that the operatives of the train, in approaching the loading shed, saw deceased in the space between the main line and switch track, nevertheless they had a right to assume that the deceased Mc-Crearry would not undertake to go over the main line track in front of the approaching train at the risk of sustaining injury, and no duty would be imposed upon said operatives, unless and until they knew that McCrearry was undertaking to go over the track in front of the engine, and unless the train could have been stopped before the collision there would be no liability upon the railroad company for the death of said deceased.” (3) “You are instructed that though you may believe from the evidence that the engineer in charge of the locomotive ought to have discovered the peril of the deceased, if any, still you are instructed that the defendant would not be liable for the negligence of the engineer, if any, in so failing to discover the peril of the deceased, if any. The defendant would be liable only in the event the engineer actually discovered and realized the peril of the deceased, if any, and thereafter failed to use all of the means at his command to stop the locomotive corisistent with the safety of the train and those upon it.”

Appellant insists the court below erred when he overruled its said objection and when he refused to give the requested charges to the jury.

The refused charges plainly were general in their nature, and for that reason, the cause being submitted on special issues, were properly refused; and, of the three, those numbered 1 and 2 were clearly on the weight of the evidence and for that reason also should not have been given to the jury.

As we construe the evidence, it furnished sufficient support for the findings in question, and we therefore think the trial court did not err when he overruled the objection specified.

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St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co. of Texas v. McCrearry, 35 S.W.2d 790 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

35 S.W.2d 790 (St. Louis Southwestern Ry. Co. of Texas v. McCrearry) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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