Western & Atlantic Railroad v. Henderson
Western & Atlantic Railroad v. Henderson
Opinion of the Court
Mrs. Mary Henderson sued the Western & Atlantic Eailroad for the homicide of her husband, who was killed at a railroad crossing while driving an automobile used for trucking purposes. She alleged that the crossing was in an unsafe condition, and that the train crew were negligent in the operation of the train; that her husband was in the exercise of ordinary care for his own safety, and that his death was the result of the negligence of the railroad company. The railroad company denied the allegations of negligence and insisted that the direct and proximate
The plaintiff’s husband was in the employ of a Coca-Cola Bottling Company at the time of his injury. Compensation had been allowed her by the industrial commission under, the workmen’s compensation act, in a sum aggregating approximately $4,000. The Maryland Casualty Company had a contract of insurance with the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, whereby it became liable to the plaintiff for the award made under the workmen’s compensation act. The insurance company intervened, without objection, as party plaintiff, praying subrogation up to the amount for which it had become liable under its contract of insurance, by reason of the award made under the workmen’s compensation act. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $10,000, and in favor of the Maryland Casualty Company upon its intervention. A motion for a-new trial was overruled.
The evidence is in conflict, but we can not say that the jury were not authorized to find from the evidence a verdict in favoi; of the plaintiff; and if the sole assignment of error were as to the sufficiency of the evidence, the case would fall within the rule that, where there is some evidence to authorize a verdict approved by the trial judge, this court is by law powerless to interfere.
The criticism of the court’s charge and of the refusal to charge, as set out in special grounds 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, when the charge ■ of the court is read in its entirety, is without merit. Indeed, the charge of the court as a whole was most fair and gave to the defendant the benefit of its every contention and legal right. The charge was not confusing or misleading, as we view it, certainly not for any reason pointed out. The 10th ground of the motion for a new trial attacks the legality of the trial for the following reason: “Upon the trial of said case, after the court had charged the jurjr, the jury retired to its room for consideration of the case and remained in its room for several hours, and then returned to the court-room, when the following occurred: Court: ‘Mr. Foreman and gentlemen, I am informed by the bailiff that you desire some further instruction with reference to some part of the case or the issues involved.’ Foreman: ‘Yes, Judge. In regard to the insurance companjr, we don’t understand how that could get into this case, how we are to deal with it.’ Court: ‘The claim of the inter
Judgment reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. Unlike my associates, I am not “led to the conclusion that the question asked by the juror was for the purpose of determining whether the verdict, if the jury found in favor of the plaintiff, should be increased by adding to it the amount for which the insurance company had become liable by reason of its contract of insurance.” Nor do I agree with them in the “fear that the answer given by the judge created such an impression upon the mind of the jury as to lead them to believe that the court meant to instruct them that the jury should increase the verdict, if for the plaintiff, so as to reimburse the intervenor.” Without objection the Maryland Casualty Company had been made a party to the cause. When the jury asked for further instructions the judge told them that “the claim of the intervenor, Maryland Casualty Company, should not in any way affect your verdict as between the plaintiff and the defendant. If you find in favor
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WESTERN & ATLANTIC RAILROAD v. HENDERSON
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published