Empire Coal Co. v. Goodhue
Empire Coal Co. v. Goodhue
Opinion of the Court
The trial court in its oral charge fell into error in instructing the jury that under the sixth count both compensatory and punitive damages might be recovered; but on exception being taken and the attention of the court called to it, the error was corrected. There were other counts which would authorize the recovery of compensatory damages, and no exception was reserved to that particular part of the oral charge which would have warranted the jury in finding compensatory damages under count 6. The exception was very general as to that part of the charge relating to the measure of damages. Some parts of the charge as to the measure of damages was correct, though not as full and explicit as it might have been. It seems to have been conceded by counsel for both the plaintiff and the defendant that the charge as to compensatory damages was not as clear or as full as it might ¡be, and counsel' for plaintiff stated to the court wherein he thought the charge was lacking in clearness. The .court approved the statement of counsel, and so remarked to the jury which heard the statement, but proceeded to say that the court considered that it was in effect the same proposition as theretofore charged them on the subject. Any misleading tendencies in the oral charge could easily have been cured by charges requested on the part of defendant as to the damages which were recoverable under the sixth count, or by defendant’s reserving an exception to the specific portion which was erroneous, and not to the whole of it relating to the measure of damages, the correct as well as the incorrect.
Charge 21, refused to the defendant, if not otherwise bad, possessed misleading tendencies, calculated to confuse the jury in attempting to fix an exact place or point in the mine in which the accident happened.
There was no error in allowing the witnesses to testify as to the marks upon or the condition of the timbers at the place of the accident and along the entry in the mine. Such evidence was both material and relevant to the issues on trial, and we see no possible injury in its admission.
It was impossible for the court to confine the inquiry to any exact spot or place in the mine as the scene of the injury, because the evidence was conflicting in this regard, as well as in regard to what defector negligence-(if any) the death of the intestate was attributable to or what was the exact cause of the injury. It appears that the court did attempt to confine the inquiry, as nearly as possible, to the issues raised, and to withhold from the consideration of the jury defects ,not relied upon, or acts of negligence not complained of or not insisted upon. As an example of the action of the court in this matter it instructed the jury that:
“The fact, if it be a fact, that there may have been bad timbers at other places in the defendant’s mine, or the fact, if it be a fact, that there may have been bad roof in defendant’s mine, could not in any way influence your verdict in this case, unless these bad timbers or this bad top was at the place where Mr. Goodhue received his injuries, and proximately contributed to cause these injuries.”
“The fact, if it be a fact, that there may have been bad timbers at other places in defendant’s mine, or the fact,-if it be a fact, that there may have been bad roof in defendant’s mine, .could not in any way influence your verdict in this case, .unless these bad timbers or this bad top was at the place where Mr. Goodhue received his injuries and proximately contributed to cause these injuries; and if you further believe that the cross-collar was caused to fall upon Good-hue, not on account of any condition of the roof or of the timber, but because of the fact that the lever on the motor struck the cross- *267 collar and knocked it down, then I charge you that plaintiff would not be entitled to recover.
AVe find no other assignments or argument meriting specific treatment, though all have been considered.
AAro find no error, and the judgment must be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Empire Coal Co. v. Goodhue.
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published