Gillis v. Cambridge Gas Light Co.
Gillis v. Cambridge Gas Light Co.
Opinion of the Court
These cases were here on the plaintiffs’ exceptions to a ruling directing verdicts for the defendant, and are reported in 202 Mass. 222. The exceptions were sustained and the case was sent back for a new trial. At that trial
The female plaintiff, whom we shall speak of as the plaintiff, in passing along Temple Place, a public street in Boston, slipped upon the cover of a coal hole, which gave way and precipitated her into the coal hole, causing the injuries complained of. Some four or five hours before the accident, the defendant, pursuant to an order from the owner and occupant of the premises to which the coal hole belonged, had delivered a load of coke which had been put in through the coal hole into which the plaintiff fell. There was only one person, the driver, with the team that delivered the coke, and the uncontradicted evidence shows that he did not remove or replace or touch the cover, or attempt to sweep or clean the rim or rabbet of the hole into which the cover fitted, and that he was instructed by his employer not to do any of those things. It appeared that the cover was removed by one McElman, an engineer in the employ of the owner and occupant of the premises, to whom the coke was delivered, and was replaced and fastened by him after sweeping out the rabbet, and that in doing this he acted under and pursuant to the instructions given him by the owner and occupant of the premises. It also appeared that McElman stood by the coal hole while the coke was being put in. The plaintiff contends that notwithstanding the instructions that were given to the driver it was the duty of the defendant and its servants to see that the rabbet into which the cover fitted was cleaned out and that the cover was properly replaced and securely fastened after the coke was delivered; and that was in substance what she requested the presiding judge to instruct the jury. The presiding judge refused so to rule and instructed the jury in substance that if the ■driver was instructed by the defendant not to take off the cover, or replace it, or clean out the rabbet, and did not do or attempt to do any of those things, but the servant of the owner of the premises did them under and pursuant to the owner’s instructions, then the defendant would not be liable. We think that the instructions thus given were correct. The coal hole was not on the defendant’s premises, and under the circumstances of the case it owed no duty to the plaintiff in respect thereto. If contrary to his instructions the driver had undertaken to remove
Exceptions overruled.
Before White, J.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mary Gillis v. Cambridge Gas Light Company Colin F. Gillis v. Same
- Status
- Published