Newberry v. Central of Georgia Ry. Co.
Newberry v. Central of Georgia Ry. Co.
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought in the state court and was removed to this court on the ground of diverse citizenship. There were six counts in the original complaint, some asserting a common-law cause of action for negligence and the others a case under the Alabama Employers’ Liability Act (Code 1907, § 3910).
No facts were pleaded to show that the plaintiff, the employee of the railroad, was injured while engaged in interstate commerce, or that he was in the service of a railroad engaged in such commerce; on the contrary, the facts pleaded referred exclusively to the common-law right of action and to the right of action under the state Employers’ Liability Act. In seasonable time the cause was removed into this court. After more than two years had elapsed from the date of the alleged injury, and on the day of the trial, the plaintiff amended his complaint by adding six additional counts, setting forth a cause of action under the state Employers’ Liability Act only. The defendant pleaded the general issue, with leave to give in evidence any matter of special defense in accordance with the Alabama practice.
After all the evidence had been introduced for the plaintiff and the defendant, and when the court was about to charge the jury, the plaintiff offered to amend the complaint by adding two counts, in substance the same, alleging facts that the plaintiff was engaged' in interstate commerce at the time of injury on a railroad engaged in such commerce between Columbus, Ga., and Birmingham, Ala., and in proper form prayed judgment under tire federal Employers’ Liability Act (Comp. St. §§ 8657-8665). The facts of such situation were fully and formally pleaded in the amendment offered.
Upon objection by the defendant the court refused to allow this last amendment upon the ground: (1) That if this cause had been originally brought under the federal Employers’ Liability Act it could not have -been, under the terms of such act, removed to the federal court, and hence it cannot now be converted into a new and a nontransferable cause of action; (2) the amendment sets forth a new cause of action which is barred by the statute of limitation of two years under the federal Employers’ Liability Act, § 6 (Comp. St. § 8662); and (3) under no aspect of the case was the plaintiff entitled to a recovery, for the evidence showed that the plaintiff -assumed a risk in working in a leaking, wet, and cold box car telegraph office, knowing the situation and realizing its dangers.
“Every common carrier by railroad while engaged in commerce between any of tbe several states * * * shall be liable in damages to any person suffering injury while he is employed by such carrier in such commerce.”
And as amended April 5, 1910, it stipulates that:
“Under this act an action may be brought in [any] court of the United States, * * * ” and that “the jurisdiction of the courts of the United States under this act shall be concurrent with that of the courts of the several states and no case arising under this act and brought in any state court of competent jurisdiction shall be removed to any court of the United States.” U. S. Comp. St. § 8662.
3. Section 6 of the federal Employers’ Liability Act provides that:
“No action sliall be maintained under this act unless commenced within two years from the day the cause of action accrued.”
More than two years had elapsed before the rejected amendment to the complaint was offered. Manifestly this limitation of two years applies here, where the complaint made in the state court alleged no facts to bring the case within the purview of the federal Empiojmrs’ Liability Act, and more than two years had elapsed after the cause of action arose and before the amendment was offered. In Walker v. Iowa Cent. Ry. Co. (D. C.) 241 Fed. 395, the law is well stated on page 400, and numerous supporting authorities are cited.
The instructions of the court to the jury and the verdict were in accord with the foregoing views. An order, therefore, will be entered overruling the motion to set aside the verdict and judgment.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NEWBERRY v. CENTRAL OF GEORGIA RY. CO.
- Status
- Published