Nickerson v. Union Traction Co.
Nickerson v. Union Traction Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
J. D. Nickerson brought an action on account of injuries received through being struck by a street car. A demurrer to his evidence was sus
It is not suggested that the plaintiff was denied a full opportunity to make a case, or that additional or different testimony would be produced at another trial. The question presented is purely one of law — Did the evidence, when given the most favorable consideration, tend to show a right of recovery?
The plaintiff was walking near to and approximately parallel with the track; as the car approached him the motorman rang the gong vigorously but did not attempt to stop; he stepped upon the track when the car was eight or ten feet away. It is obvious that if he was in full possession of his faculties he was himself guilty of negligence, and that the motorman was justified in supposing that he would hear and heed the gong and keep away from the track until the car had passed. If the plaintiff is entitled to recover it must be upon the theory that he was in such a mental condition that he did not realize his situation, and was-incapable of being warned, and that the circumstances were such as to apprise the motorman of the fact. Whether the evidence justifies these inferences is the question to be determined. There was' testimony tending to show these facts:
The street upon which the accident occurred runs-north and south. The plaintiff was struck by a northbound car. He left a place east of this street to walk to a place west of it. He reached the east side of the street two blocks and a half south of the point where he was injured. He at once crossed to the west side of the street and then walked a block north. From that time his memory of subsequent events is a blank until he found himself in a hospital. A witness saw him leave the place just indicated — the west side of the street a block and a half south of where he was injured — starting as if to cross the street again, walk
That the plaintiff does not remember what took place after he crossed to the west side of the street and walked a block north does not necessarily indicate that he became unconscious at that point, since his defect of memory may be due to his injury. But the unexplained fact that he then started to cross to the east side of the street, from which he had just come, his purpose being to reach a point west of it, supports the idea that he wras suffering some form of aberration. The witness who saw the car strike him seems to have been where he could see him at all times after he left the sidewalk on the west side of the street, and does not mention his crossing the track. It appears probable that the witness who spoke of seeing him on the east side of the track just before the gong sounded either meant to say that he was on the west side, or was mistaken as to his situation. But this is not a matter to be considered on a demurrer to the evidence.
The court is of the opinion that an affirmative answer is required, and the order is therefore affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.