Wiles v. Northern Pacific Railway Co.

119 P. 810, 66 Wash. 337, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 1069
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 21, 1911
DocketNo. 9407
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 119 P. 810 (Wiles v. Northern Pacific Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wiles v. Northern Pacific Railway Co., 119 P. 810, 66 Wash. 337, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 1069 (Wash. 1911).

Opinion

Ellis, J.

Action to recover damages for an alleged wrongful ejection of respondent from a passenger train of appellant on December 1, 1909. The jury returned a verdict in respondent’s favor for $523.95. Appellant’s motion for new trial was overruled, and a judgment for that amount was entered against the appellant. From that judgment, this appeal was prosecuted.

It is conceded that the respondent was a passenger on the train in question and had paid his fare in full for carriage from Snohomish to Maltby, and that he was ej ected from the train by the conductor and brakeman before the train had reached Maltby. By a careful examination of the evidence we are satisfied that on every other material question of fact there was a substantial, and in the main, a sharp conflict in the evidence. If, therefore, the case was submitted to the jury upon proper instructions, the verdict is conclusive of the facts. It was practically admitted by counsel in argument that there was such conflict in the evidence as to require its submission to the jury, but.it is urged that the appellant did not have a fair trial for reasons as follows: (1) Error of the court placing appellant’s witnesses under the rule of exclusion after respondent’s evidence in chief was in; (2) error in denying appellant’s challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence; (3) error in giving certain instructions and in refusing to give others requested; (4) error in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

[339]*339(1) Counsel contends that the trial court abused its discretion in permitting attorney for respondent, in the presence of the jury, to demand that “the railroad’s witnesses be excluded.” The record, however, shows that the request was not couched in these, or other, objectionable terms. It was as follows : “At this time, the plaintiif asks that the witnesses for the defendant be put under the rule.” The request was granted, and upon counsel for appellant objecting to the order, the court stated: “I have made it my universal custom to enforce the rule whenever asked.” The court’s remark indicated to the jury that if the same request had been made as to respondent’s witnesses it would have been granted. The placing of witnesses under the rule is a matter within the discretion of the trial court. 21 Ency. Plead. & Prac., p. 983. While it is doubtless the better practice not to enforce the rule except on seasonable application, we . cannot say, in view of the reason given by the court, that there was such an abuse of discretion as could have been prejudicial to the appellant.

(2) When all of the evidence was in, the appellant challenged its sufficiency to sustain any verdict for respondent. The rule on such a motion is the same as that upon a motion for nonsuit. Where there is competent and substantial evidence to sustain the plaintiff’s cause its credibility and sufficiency are for the jury. The motion was properly denied. Spokane & Idaho Lum. Co. v. Loy, 21 Wash. 501, 58 Pac. 672, 60 Pac. 1119; Brookman v. State Insurance Co., 18 Wash. 308, 51 Pac. 395; Rinear v. Skinner, 20 Wash. 541, 56 Pac. 24; 38 Cyc. 1565 et seq.

(3) The evidence was sharply conflicting as to whether or not the respondent was offensively drunk, and as to whether, prior to the ejection, he used profane and obscene language, thus forfeiting his rights as a passenger. It was also in direct conflict as to whether he was ejected in a swamp where the water came up to the railroad track, so that he either fell or was thrown into water about six feet [340]*340deep, or whether the expulsion took place at a point known as Fiddler’s Bluff where the ground was dry. The appellant urged that the instructions contain fatal error as to the elements of damage in view of this evidence. Since the instructions must be construed together in order to determine their reasonable effect, we quote from those'applicable to this phase of the case rather fully, lettering them for convenience, as follows:

“(a) While the railroad company has a right to eject intoxicated, boisterous or disorderly persons from its train, such ejection must be done in a reasonable manner, at a proper time and place, and considering his condition, without exposing him to harm or imperiling his life, and if you should-find from the evidence in this case that, at the point where the plaintiff was ejected from the train of the defendant, if he was ejected, the ground was submerged with flood waters, and that plaintiff was thrown by defendant into water approximately six feet in depth, then I instruct you that the plaintiff, whether wrongfully ejected or not, is entitled to recover whatever damages he may have sustained by reason of having been thrown into the water, if he was thrown into the water, by the agents of the defendant.
“(b) You are further instructed that if you find, under the instructions heretofore given you, that the plaintiff was guilty of such disorderly and lawless behavior, upon the car in which he was travelling, as to justify the conductor in ejecting him, and that he was ejected at a place, although away from a station, where he could reasonably take care of himself, that then the defendant company would not be liable to him for any injuries that he sustained at any subsequent time endeavoring to reach his point of destination or in attempting to return to Snohomish.
“(c) The instructions given to the jury are and constitute one connected body and series, and should be so regarded and treated by the jury; that is to say, you should apply them as a whole to the facts, that is, consider all of the instructions together as they may relate to the facts as shown by the evidence.
“(d) If you should find, under the evidence and the rules of law given to you, that the plaintiff is entitled to recover, it will be your duty to a ‘sess the amount of damages [341]*341which, in your judgment, he should recover. In estimating this amount, you may take into consideration any expenses actually incurred, the loss of time occasioned by the immediate effect of the injuries, and the physical and mental suffering caused by the injuries. You may, in this respect, consider what, if any, compensation shall be allowed to the plaintiff for the humiliation, shame and disgrace from having been ejected from the train of the defendant, if such was done.
“(e) The court instructs the jury that, if they find from the evidence that the defendant carrier was guilty of wrongfully ejecting the plaintiff from its train of cars, that the plaintiff is not limited in his recovery to the actual money lost by him by reason of such ejection, but he may recover damages for the humiliation and mental suffering which such ejectment may have caused him.”

The appellant contends that the last two of the instructions above quoted authorized the jury to allow compensation for respondent’s humiliation, shame, and disgrace, even if he was rightfully ejected from the train. We cannot so read them in connection with the context. The first quoted instruction (a), by a fair interpretation, limits the recovery in case of rightful ejection to whatever damages he sustained by reason of having been thrown into the water. This is especially apparent when read in connection with instruction lettered (b), which plainly eliminates every injury consequent upon a rightful ejection, saving only by implication such as may have been unnecessarily inflicted at the time.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
119 P. 810, 66 Wash. 337, 1911 Wash. LEXIS 1069, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wiles-v-northern-pacific-railway-co-wash-1911.