Texas-Louisiana Power Co. v. Bihl

43 S.W.2d 294
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 5, 1931
DocketNo. 2591
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 43 S.W.2d 294 (Texas-Louisiana Power Co. v. Bihl) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Texas-Louisiana Power Co. v. Bihl, 43 S.W.2d 294 (Tex. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

HIGGINS, J.

Appellee Bihl, suing for himself and in behalf of his wife, brought this suit against appellant to recover damages for the alleged neglii;ent killing of their son Eugene Bihl.

It was averred that the appellant, Texas-Louisiana Power Company, was a private corporation, operating the electric light and power plant at Port Stockton, Pecos county, Tex., and on the 13th day of May, A. D. 1929, it owned and maintained an electric light pole situate in close’ proximity to the home of the plaintiff; that this pole was some fifteen to twenty feet in height with a transformer supported thereon at or near the top; that the wires attached to the top of this electric light pole carried electricity of high power and voltage, dangerous to any one who came in contact therewith or in too close proximity thereto; that the pole was maintained and equipped with a hanging wire fastened at or near the top and extended to the ground which could be easily grasped and used in sealing the pole; that the electric light pole and equipment as maintained constituted an attractive nuisance calculated to interest children and boys and carried an implied invitation to the immature child to climb the same and to attempt to explore and examine the transformer and wires located thereon; that on the 13th day of May, A. D. 1929, the deceased, Eugene Bihl, a boy of about eleven years of age, climbed the electric light pole in question, without appreciating or understanding the danger incident to his situation, and came in contact with the exposed wires running into or out of, or connected with the transformer located on the pole; that his death was the direct and proximate result of such contact; that the defendant was negligent in various acts.

The case was submitted upon special issues; With the answers returned, they read:

“Special Issue No. 1: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the pole on which Eugene Bihl was injured was dangerous to children of immature years, such as he, because of the negligence, if any, of the defendant in permitting, if you find that it did so permit, a down drop wire to remain thereon so loosely fastened at intervals along down the 'pole as to make climbing the pole a simple and easy matter? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 2: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the pole on which Eugene Bihl was injured was dangerous to children of immature years, such as he, because of the negligence, if any, of the defendant in not properly protecting or insulating, if you do find that it did not so properly protect or insulate the wires located thereon so as to prevent the electric current from injuring anyone coming in contact therewith? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 3: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the pole [296]*296on which Eugene Bihl was injured was dangerous to children of immature years, such as he, because of the 'negligence, if any, of the defendant in not providing a guard or barrier to prevent or deter children, such as he, from climbing the same? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 4: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the pole on which Eugene Bihl was injured was dangerous to children of immature years, such as he, because of the negligence, if any, of the defendant in failing to erect and maintain warning signs or notices advising persons or children, such as Eugene Bihl, of the danger incident to climbing the pole? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 5: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the pole as equipped and maintained by the defendant at the time and place Eugene Bihl was injured and hilled, was unusually attractive for climbing to children of immature years, such as Eugene Bihl? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 6: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the unusual attractiveness of the pole for climbing caused or induced Eugene Bihl to climb it? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No.' 7: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant was guilty of negligence in maintaining such pole in the condition in which you have found it to be in answer to Special Issues 1, 2, 3 and 4, or either of them? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes. ('
“Special Issue No. 8: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such negligence of the defendant so found in answer to the preceding question, the 'proximate cause for the injury and death of Eugene Bihl? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: Yes.
“Special Issue No. 9: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that the deceased, Eugene Bihl, was guilty of negligence as that term is hereinafter defined to you in the way and manner in which he came in contact with the two primary wires on the time and occasion complained of? Answer yes or nq.
“Answer: No.
“Special Issue No. 10: Do you find from a preponderance of the evidence that such negligence, if any you have so found, in answer to the foregoing special issue No. 9, was a proximate or contributing cause t.o the accident and injuries complained of? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: No.
“If you have answered either of the first four issues ‘yes,’ and also answered Issues 5, 6 and 7 ‘yes,’ then you need not answer the following; otherwise you will answer the following:
“Special Issue No. 11: Was the death of Eugene Bihl the direct and proximate result of an unavoidable accident? Answer yes or no.
“Answer: --
“Special Issue No. 12: What sum do you find frond a preponderance of the evidence will compensate the plaintiff, Dan Bihl and his wife, Julia Bihl, the parents of Eugene Bihl, for the actual pecuniary loss suffered by them as the direct and proximate result of the death of their child, Eugene Bihl; Answer in dollars and'cents.
“Answer: $9,000.00.
“Special Issue No. 13: How much of such damages should be apportioned to the father, Dan Bihl, and how much to the mother, Julia Bihl? You will answer this question by stating how much, in figures, to each parent.
“Answer:
“To Dan Bihl $4,000.00.
“To Julia Bihl $5,000.00.”

Upon these findings judgment was rendered against the defendant from which it appeals.

The pole in question was at the northeast corner of Bihl’s home next to the outer edge of a concrete sidewalk in front of his property. It was about sixty feet from the northeast corner of the house. The sidewalk and pole were both within appellees’ property line. The pole was placed there by appellant about December, 1927.

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43 S.W.2d 294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/texas-louisiana-power-co-v-bihl-texapp-1931.