Taylor v. Reading Co.

23 F.R.D. 186, 1 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 168, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4334
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedDecember 18, 1958
DocketCiv. A. No. 19719
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 23 F.R.D. 186 (Taylor v. Reading Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. Reading Co., 23 F.R.D. 186, 1 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 168, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4334 (E.D. Pa. 1958).

Opinion

LORD, District Judge.

Pursuant to Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A., plaintiff administrator in this diversity action seeks leave to amend his Complaint after expiration of the Pennsylvania Statutes of Limitations. Defendant resists, alleging that a new claim would thereby be introduced to its prejudice.

This cause was commenced on October 20, 1955, by plaintiff administrator (hereinafter designated plaintiff), a New [188]*188Jersey resident, against defendant railroad, a Pennsylvania corporation. Damages are sought resulting from fatal injuries to the decedent, Wilton Ison, on October 21, 1954. Recovery is predicated upon the Pennsylvania Wrongful Death Statute, 12 P.S..§ 1602 et seq., and the Pennsylvania Survival Statute, 20 P.S. § 320.601 et seq. The statutes of limitations under these Acts are one and two years respectively. See Stegner v. Fenton, 1945, 351 Pa. 292, 40 A.2d 473.

Wilton Ison, the decedent, was, at the time of his death, a self-employed “junk-man”. During the early evening hours of October 21, 1954, he was killed as a result of being struck by defendant’s train. The latter was making a routine-movement which was to traverse a distance of some seven-and-one-half miles. While passing through a city “dump” some six miles en route, the train struck the decedent. It was not until the train arrived at its destination that the crew became aware of the tragedy.

Seeking a recovery founded upon negligence, paragraph six of the complaint to which the proposed amendment is directed avers (in pertinent part):

“6. * * * Said train arrived at or about 70th Street and Powers Lane in the City * * * of Philadelphia, * * * said train was operated so negligently and carelessly and without due regard to the safety and position of Wilton Ison, * * * that it struck the said Wilton Ison * * with great force and violence.”

This paragraph is sought to be amended by the following (in pertinent part):

“0. * * * The cause of the accident was one or a combination of the following:
“(a) The tracks at the scene of the accident, the track bed and the land immediately adjacent thereto, was owned, controlled and managed by the Reading Company, and as a result of the negligent and careless operation by the defendant, through its agent, and the operation, maintenance and control of said railroad crossing, ties and tracks, the crossing had been permitted to deteriorate with the formation of holes, debris and other similar defects, as a result of which the deceased was caused to stagger, fall, trip, or have his foot imbedded in a hole immediately adjacent to the rail where the accident occurred. These defects as to the tracks, the bedding and crossing previously referred to are defects which defendant had knowledge of, or should have had knowledge of, if it had used reasonable care to inspect and maintain same, and it was defendant’s duty to the public to correct said defects.
“(b) The train which contacted the deceased was operated by defendant’s agent in a negligent and careless manner, without giving the necessary warnings or making the necessary observations or without making the necessary operations of said train to see or warn the deceased, or to operate the train safely to stop it, thereby avoiding the accident.”

The.proposed amendment divides itself into sections (a) and (b). Viewing the latter first it is clear that it merely describes in more specific detail the alleged acts of negligence associated with the operation of the train. It supplies greater fullness of detail to the negligence alleged in the Complaint. Under familiar principles this type of amendment is freely granted. See Green v. Walsh, D.C.E.D.Wis.1957, 21 F.R.D. 15, 19 and cases cited therein. While for reasons hereafter expressed this Court does not believe that the Pennsylvania cases are controlling, it is to be noted that they are in accord. See McCullough V. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., 1915, 61 Pa.Super. 384; Frazier v. Pittsburgh, 1940, 142 Pa.Super. 88, 15 A.2d 499.

[189]*189It is not that part of the proposed amendment which calls forth the strenuous opposition of the defendant railroad, nor makes for difficulty in the present decision, however. It is the proposed section (a) of the amendment, which in essence avers negligence as to maintenance of the track and track bed, which is in severe dispute.

Defendant insists that this part of the amendment seeks to introduce an entirely new cause of action; and that it represents a new claim, unrelated to the original averment of negligent operation. Since the statutes of limitations have run, defendant insists, the amendment is not allowable under the Pennsylvania cases. Cox v. Wilkes-Barre Ry. Co., 1939, 334 Pa. 568, 6 A.2d 538; see Martin v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co., 1910, 227 Pa. 18, 75 A. 837, 26 L.R.A.N.S., 1221; Grumbling v. Motter, 1950, 77 Pa.Dist. & Co.R. 382, 384; Brehm v. Johnstown Sanitary Dairy Co., 1955, 7 Pa.Dist. & Co.R.2d 315, 317.

Plaintiff argues that his proposed amendment is well within the contemplation of Rule 15, Fed.R.Civ.P.; does not seek to raise a new cause of action; and that — for reasons disclosed by the record —it would result in no unfair disadvantage or prejudice to the defendant.

Were this Court able to appraise the proposition as singlemindedly as do the respective parties, the decision— whichever way it went — would be quick, and the opinion pleasantly brief. To the contrary, however, the matter is seen as one which is not only addressed to the Court’s discretion, but also as one which goes beyond the black letter of some of the authorities upon which the parties principally rely. Only after a thorough review of the circumstances revealed by the present record, as well as the applicable authorities, has the Court been persuaded that the reasons for granting the amendment preponderate over those advanced against it.

I.

Jurisdiction in this cause rests solely upon diversity of citizenship, together — of course — with the requisite controverted amount. As a diversity case, it is controlled by the substantive law, the lex loci, of Pennsylvania. Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins, 1938, 304 U.S. 64, 58 S.Ct. 817, 82 L.Ed. 1188; Brown v. Moore, 3 Cir., 1957, 247 F.2d 711. Specifically, the applicable periods of limitation under the Pennsylvania Wrongful Death and the Pennsylvania Survival Acts are to be given full effect. Guaranty Trust Co. v. York, 1945, 326 U.S. 99, 65 S.Ct. 1464, 89 L.Ed. 2079.

However, all matters of procedure are governed by the law of the forum. Restatement, Conflict of Laws § 585 (1934). See Tozer v. Charles A. Krause Milling Co., 3 Cir., 1951, 189 F.2d 242.

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Bluebook (online)
23 F.R.D. 186, 1 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 168, 1958 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4334, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-reading-co-paed-1958.