Barry v. McGhee
Barry v. McGhee
Opinion of the Court
The petition in this case sets ont the facts, that on the 11th day of November, 1892, petitioner was in the employment of McGhee and Link, who were receivers in •charge of and operating the railroad of the E. T., Y. & G. By. Co., and that they were appointed by order of the United States circuit court held in and for the State of Tennessee; that the. duties of petitioner under such employment were those of switchman in the yards conducted by the receivers in the city of Macon. Eie alleges that while he was on a flat car in the discharge of his duties, the engine to which the cars were attached suddenly jerked the cars and threw him to the ground, and that the engineer, in reversing and putting steam on the locomotive, ran the cars over him and he was permanently crippled, bis feet being crushed and mangled; that he was riding on the rear car of those attached to the engine, after he had made an uncoupling of two cars; that he himself was without any fault, and that the injury was occasioned by the fault and negligence of the defendants in improperly moving the train with a sudden and improper jerk, in reversing the engine attached to the train, in allowing the train to run back on petitioner, and not having brakes on the engine attached to said train of cars. • There are further full and specific allegations in the petition touching the injuries of the defendant, his incapacity to labor thereby, and .other maters which shioiw the serious and permanent injury occasioned to him by being thrown from the car and run over, which are set out in the preceding official
1. At common law there could be no recovery against the principal for injuries sustained by an agent from the-negligence or misconduct of other agents of the principal,, engaged in the same business; and this rule is generally in. force in the State of Georgia. Civil Code, §§2610, 3030.. This rule of the common law has been changed by the' statute in Georgia, in the case of injuries sustained by an employee of a railroad company, when he was without, fault or negligence himself and such injury was caused by an'otiher employee. Civil -Code, §2323. It is provided by tihe last secitíion referred to, tihat tibe 'employment by a railroad company of the person so injured shall be no bar to a. recovery of damages; and this section has been construed to-embrace all injuries, including such as are sustained from 'the running of cars and engines. In the case of Henderson v. Walker, 55 Ga. 481, it was held by this count that in a suit against the receivers of a railroad company, filed by an employee lof such receivers to recover damages for injuries sustained itihnougjh -.tibe negligence of a coemployee,, the rule fixed by section 2323 of the Civil Code, which excepted from tiie -dominion law rule- the right of an employee to recover against a railroad company where the injury was occasioned by the negligence of a coemployee, did not extend to receivers of railroads. It was there held, that the receivers did not represent the company, but the court;, that the property and franchises of the company had been, seized and the court was for the time being the governing-power; that the right of an employee to recover under' such circumstances against a railroad company was a statutory right, and in that case there was no privity between the company and the plaintiff; that he was not the servant of the company, nor was the company his master; and.
>2. It is further insisted, however, that, properly construed, the petition sets out a cause of action against the-receivers, because it is alleged therein that the damages-were occasioned by tbe want of brakes upon the engine attached to the cars which were being moved, and that the injuries sustained because of such defect were.in no way dependent upon any fault or negligence of a coemployee, but that 'the receivers are liable to the plaintiff directly' therefor. A reference to the petition shows that the circumstances which occasioned the injury are very fully set out in detail, and that such details show negligence and.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BARRY v. McGHEE, receivers
- Cited By
- 1 case
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- Published