Toomey v. City of Henderson
Toomey v. City of Henderson
Opinion of the Court
Opinion op the Court by
— Reversing.
Appellant, Mamie Toomey, was injured by falling into a bole in one of tbe streets of tbe City of Henderson. Sbe brought tbis action to recover damages. At tbe conclusion of tbe testimony introduced in ber bebalf, tbe trial court gave a peremptory instruction in favor of tbe city. To review tbe propriety of tbis ruling tbis appeal is prosecuted.
Appellant testified that sbe was returning from cburcb on Sunday morning, July 28, 1907, when sbe fell into a bole in one of appellee’s streets and suffered a severe sprain of ber ankle. Tbe bole was about eight inches deep, a foot and a half or two feet long, and about •the same size in width. Tbe accident happened in tbe morning, but she did not see tbe bole because of grass along the pavement. Sbe also stated that grass was growing down in tbe bole from top to bottom.
While in order to make the municipality liable for injuries resulting from defects or dangers in its streets, knowledge thereof on its part, or tbe fact that knowledge would have resulted to it from tbe exercise of ordinary care, must be proved, such knowledge may be shown by circumstances, such as tbe continuance of tbe danger in such place and for so long a time as to create a presumption of knowledge on tbe part of tbe municipality in time to enable it to remove tbe danger before tbe injury. (Burnside v. Smith, 119 S. W., 744.) The trial court awarded tbe peremptory instruction on tbe idea that appellant not only failed to show knowledge on tbe part of tbe city, but failed to show facts creating a presumption of knowledge. Here, however, there was evidence tending to show that grass was growing in tbe sunken place in tbe pavement.
. Judgment reversed and cause remanded for a new trial consistent with this opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.