Vandalia Railroad v. Kendall

119 N.E. 816, 68 Ind. App. 1, 1918 Ind. App. LEXIS 43
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided June 5, 1918·No. No. 9,525·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Ibach, J.

Appellee recovered judgment against appellant for damages on account of personal injuries received by him while in its employ. Appellant is a consolidated corporation and operates and controls a railroad extending into and through the States of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, and at the time appellee received his injuries was a common carrier and engaged in commerce between the said states. Appellee received his injuries while he was employed by appellant in interstate commerce.

On April 4,1913, appellee was employed by appellant and engaged in the repair of its telegraph wires and lines. While in such employ appellee had the right and privilege to ride upon appellant’s freight trains and engines in moving from one part of the line to another. On said date one Ralph Anderson was also in appellant’s employ. Anderson had the right to direct appellee in his work, where he should work, and what work he should do. Appellee was bound to obey and conform to any order or direction of said Anderson, and did obey and conform to his orders. In going to and from places of work on appellant’s road appellee did ride upon its engines and cars, both freight and passenger. On the date given appellee was at work for appellant under the direction of Anderson in the city of Terre Haute, and the latter was riding upon “the locomotive of a freight train that was moving through the city of Terre Haute at about, the rate of four or five miles an hour * * * While said train was so moving * * * Anderson negligently ordered and directed this plaintiff to board said train in order to go to another [4] point on defendant’s road to perform work and labor, and that he obeyed said order and direction of said Anderson and attempted to get onto said freight train * * * and that while attempting to board said freight car, as aforesaid, his foot slipped and he fell from and under said train and was injured. * * * That he was injured by reason of the said negligence of said Anderson, said injury resulting from his obedience and conformity to the said order of said Anderson to board said moving train.”

Omitting the description of appellee’s injuries and mere formal parts, the substance of the second paragraph of complaint (upon which the cause was tried) •is as above stated.

Appellant demurred to this complaint for want of facts, and in its memorandum pointed out two objections, viz.: “ (1) Upon the facts alleged in this paragraph the plaintiff’s injury resulted from his risk in attempting to board the moving engine, which risk was a risk of his employment, and there was no violation by the defendant of a statute enacted for the safety of employes. (2) The facts alleged show that the injuries of the plaintiff were caused by his own contributory negligence.”

This demurrer was overruled and general denial filed. There was a trial by jury and verdict for appellee. Appellant assigns as error the ruling on the demurrer and the overruling of its motion for a new trial.

Prior to filing his brief on the merits appellee ' moved to dismiss this appeal on the grounds that appellant’s brief presents no question. The ruling on such motion was reserved until now. Without going into detailed discussion we have examined appel[5] lant’s brief in connection with appellee’s objections and conclude that, while subject to criticism, it is sufficient to present some question. To the extent that the questions can be determined they will be considered.

Appellee claims that no question is presented by the first assignment for the reason that the objection now urged is not the objection urged in the trial court, and that the objections there made are waived.

1. The objection here presented is as follows: “The complaint discloses that the proximate cause of appellee’s injury was the slipping of his foot and not the giving of the order to board the train.” Appellant admits that it did not use the language of the objections in the memorandum, but insists that the objection just quoted is in effect and substantially the same as the points raised under its demurrer in the trial court. The objections in the trial court were in brief that appellee assumed the risk and was guilty of contributory negligence. The position now taken would render both of the original objections immaterial, as the complaint might be sufficient with respect to both and yet be defective as to the objection relied on. It seems' to us that the position here is inconsistent with that taken in the trial court, and therefore forbidden not only by the express statute, but by a long line of holdings as well. Acts 1911 p. 415, §2, §344 Burns 1914; Stiles v. Hasler (1913), 56 Ind. App. 88, 92, 93, 104 N. E. 878; Boes v. Grand Rapids, etc., R. Co. (1915), 59 Ind. App. 271, 278, 279, 108 N. E. 174, 109 N. E. 411; Carter v. Caldwell (1915), 183 Ind. 434, 436, 109 N. E. 355, and cases cited.

Appellant claims the verdict is not • sustained by [6] sufficient evidence and is contrary to law. The particular objections are: (1) That the order was not a negligent one; (2) that the evidence shows that the injuries were not caused either in whole or in part by the negligence of appellant, but were caused by the slipping of appellee’s foot in boarding the engine; (3) that appellee assumed the risk of slipping on the stirrup.

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Vandalia Railroad v. Kendall, 119 N.E. 816, 68 Ind. App. 1, 1918 Ind. App. LEXIS 43 (Ind. Ct. App. 1918).

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