Lusk v. Davis
Lusk v. Davis
Opinion of the Court
This was an -action brought by the appellee against the steamboat Tarascón, under the water-craft act,
The appellants insist that there should have been an averment that the sail boat was in its usual, customary and proper place. They» argue that “ there may have' been no actual negligence at the time of the accident, but that the mere fact of being in an improper place would have been negligence.” We think that if, on the trial, it had appeared that the injury resulted from the sail boat being in an improper place, this would have disproved the averment that the injury occurred “by and through the carelessness,” &c., of the steamboat, and without fault or negligence on the part of the plaintiff or his agents. . The allegations of the complaint very fully presented the question of negligence, and the motion was therefore properly overruled by the court. The jury found for the appellee, and the court, after overruling a motion for a new trial, rendered judgment upon the finding. We are asked to reverse the judgment on the ground that the evidence did not show that the injury re-
The pilot of the steamer stated that as he backed the steamer out, he noticed that the inside wheel touched something, and he stopped the steamer, and told the mate, who was on the upper deck, that the wheel had struck something ; that the mate thereupon went back to the wheel house and looked over the side and reported that it was all clear, and ordered him to proceed; that thereupon he rang the bell to go ahead, and the wheel in revolving struck the sail boat. The pilot had noticed the sail -boat on this occasion, and regarded her position as dangerous. The mate of the steamer was not introduced as a witness.
The well established rule of this court forbids any interference with the finding of the jury under this evidence. The testimony of witnesses that the steamer was handled as usual, and of one -witness that she was handled as steamers usually are, only presented a conflict of evidence, which is not considered in this court, where the question is as to the weight to be given to the testimony of the conflicting witnesses.
The judgment is affirmed, with five per cent, damages and costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lusk and Others v. Davis
- Cited By
- 1 case
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- Published