W. B. Conkey Co. v. Larsen

91 N.E. 163, 173 Ind. 585, 1910 Ind. LEXIS 62
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 10, 1910
DocketNo. 21,448
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 91 N.E. 163 (W. B. Conkey Co. v. Larsen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
W. B. Conkey Co. v. Larsen, 91 N.E. 163, 173 Ind. 585, 1910 Ind. LEXIS 62 (Ind. 1910).

Opinion

Hadley, C. J.

This was an action for an injury to the hand, received by an employe while operating a mortising machine in the appellant’s electrotyping plant. The complaint is in two paragraphs, to each of which a demurrer for an insufficiency of facts was overruled. An answer in general denial was then filed, trial by jury, and verdict for the plaintiff for $6,500, for which amount judgment was rendered over a motion for judgment on answers to interrogatories and a motion for a new trial.

The errors relied on for reversal are: (1) Overruling appellant’s demurrer to the first paragraph of the complaint; (2) overruling appellant’s motion for judgment on the answers to interrogatories; (3) overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

The pertinent parts of the first paragraph are, in substance, as follows; That appellant maintained and operated [587]*587a lithographing plant and. factory in the city of Hammond; that, among other machinery, it used and operated a mortising machine supplied -with knives, or chisels, attached to a shaft, which shaft and chisels, when the machine was operated, revolved rapidly, bringing said chisels in contact with a certain cut, or piece to be cut or mortised, composed of a hardwood base with a metal top; that such cut, in order to be brought in contact with said chisels, was placed upon a table which was a part of said machine and which was underneath said shaft, and said table was so arranged' that the same could be raised or lowered to any desired position by the use of a pedal operated by the foot of the operator of such machine; that while said cut was being raised with said table to such point that it could come in contact with said chisels, and while being cut by said chisels revolving against it, the cut was required to be held firmly in place on said table by the hand of the operator; that it was practicable to have placed a clamp or spring upon said machine which could hold the cut in place while it was being cut, thereby making it unnecessary that the operator should hold it with his hands, but defendant carelessly and negligently caused said machine to be operated by plaintiff without said clamp or spring; that the operating of said machine without said clamp or spring was extremely hazardous, and there was great danger that the force of said chisels, cutting into said cut while plaintiff was so holding it with his hand, would cause said cut to swerve from the position in which it was held and throw the plaintiff’s hand against said chisels; that defendant carelessly and negligently set plaintiff to work at said machine and required him so to operate it while in said condition without in any way warning him of the danger of his hand’s being so thrown in contact with said chisels, or instructing him as to the manner of preventing such contact of his hand with said chisels; that defendant carelessly and negligently failed to warn plaintiff of said danger from the operation [588]*588of said machine, or to instruct him in the manner of doing said work at any time before his said injury; that at the time plaintiff received his said injury he was under the age of sixteen years, and wholly inexperienced in the use of machinery, and defendant then and at all times prior thereto had full notice and knowledge of plaintiff’s said youth and inexperience; that plaintiff did not, at the time of receiving his said injury, know or appreciate the danger to his hands from operating said machine in said manner in said condition; that if the plaintiff had been instructed as to said dangers and as to the method of preventing his hands from being thrown in contact with said chisels while in action, he would have avoided injury to himself in the operation of said machine; that on November 30, 1906, the plaintiff was required to and did, in the course of his said employment, start said machine, and said shaft and chisels attached thereto, to revolving rapidly, by applying the electric power thereto, and did, in the course of his said employment, place a certain cut upon said table and then hold the same firmly with his hand upon said table, and did then raise said table by the use of such foot pedal, until said cut came in contact with said chisels; that said cut was sufficiently large that the space on which his hand so rested by holding the cut in place did not come within a distance of four inches from said chisels and the point on said cut which was being cut by said chisels, and when said cut came in contact with said chisels, at the point where it was intended by the plaintiff it should be cut, said chisels threw said cut from the position in which plaintiff was so holding it, and by the force of such throwing of such cut did throw plaintiff’s right hand against and under said chisels while they were revolving, and by reason thereof three fingers of his right hand were cut off at the knuckle joints.

Appellee claims nothing more for the first paragraph of his complaint than that it rests upon the common law, and in bringing the ease within the old law he counts upon the [589]*589master’s failure to warn and instruct the plaintiff in the use of said machine and how to avoid the dangers arising from its operation, at the time knowing the plaintiff to be inexperienced in the use of the machine and ignorant of the dangers to his hand from the swerving of the cut.

Appellant submits that the paragraph is bad, for failure to charge that the master had knowledge, either actual or constructive, of the dangerous character of the machine complained of, and for failure to show that the master possessed any superior knowledge of how such danger might he avoided.

1.

It is elementary that the old law requires the master to furnish his servant with a working place and appliances that are reasonably safe, and to beep them so, except as to such dangers as are open, ordinary and common to such place or instrumentality, which the servant is held to know and assume under his contract of employment, and except further such new dangers as arise and are voluntarily encountered by the servant after knowledge and comprehension of the same. The master is only liable for the neglect, or omission, of some duty owing to the injured person. In other words, to render the master liable it must be shown that the injury complained of was the direct result of some fault of the master.

2.

Another well-recognized duty of the master is not to assign a servant who, from youth or other cause, is deficient in experience, to the operation of a dangerous machine, without giving him such warning and instruction in regard to avoiding injury as may, from the age or want of experience of the servant, bring the danger and means of its avoidance within his comprehension. When, however, in operating a machine, the danger and means of escape are open and visible to the operator and within his knowledge and appreciation when exercising his faculties with care and caution, the master is not required to give either warning or instruction. Atlas Engine Works v. Ran[590]*590dall (1885), 100 Ind. 293, 296, 50 Am. Rep. 798; Republic Iron and Steel Co. v. Ohler (1903), 161 Ind. 393; 26 Cyc., 1171, and many cases collated in note.

The law does not require the master to give warning and instruction to one who is already fully informed. The servant must keep his eyes open and look out for himself.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
91 N.E. 163, 173 Ind. 585, 1910 Ind. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/w-b-conkey-co-v-larsen-ind-1910.