McGuigan v. New York Central Railroad
McGuigan v. New York Central Railroad
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff was employed as truck driver by a construction company. He drove one of its tractor and trailer combinations to defendant railroad company’s freight yard for the purpose of
The trailer had 2 wooden retainer stakes or stanchions on each side. They were supposed to keep the pipe from spreading and rolling off the trailer. These stakes were described as from 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, as 2 x 4’s, and as 3 or 3-1/2 inch poles.
When plaintiff and his fellow employees came to the freight yard for the first load defendant Gleason told them that he did not think the stakes were heavy enough for that type of pipe. They replied that “it was all right, that there would be no weight against them, it was just to keep the pipe from spreading.” Thereupon the trailer was loaded with pipe and hauled away in safety. Later plaintiff, his foreman, and fellow employees returned with the tractor and trailer, for a second load, and defendant Gleason again assisted in loading with the crane. When 14 such pipe had been loaded upon the trailer, and after about 5 minutes had passed, plaintiff threw a chain over the pipe for the purpose of binding down the load. As soon as the chain hit the pipes
Plaintiff claimed that his injuries were due to defendant Gleason’s negligence in loading the pipe on a trailer which had stanchions of insufficient strength, when he was well aware of this fact. Defendant railroad company, Gleason’s regular employer, is included as a defendant under the doctrine of “respondeat superior ”
The case was heard by a trial judge, without a jury. The judge entered judgment of no cause for action after announcing that he found no negligence on the part of defendants, either as a matter of fact or law. Plaintiff appeals, contending that he sustained his burden of proof by establishing that defendants were negligent and that their negligence was a proximate cause of his injury.
The question so presented by plaintiff amounts to whether the finding of the trial judge that defendants were not shown to be guilty of negligence was against the clear preponderance of the evidence.
Plaintiff, his foreman, and 3 fellow employees were engaged in loading their employer’s pipe on its trailer. They knew or had every opportunity to know as much about the strength of the stanchions as did defendant Gleason. He expressed his concern as to the adequacy of the stanchions and was assured by those whose duty it was to load the truck that they were all right. Thereafter he merely placed the pipe where plaintiff’s foreman directed. The first load was safely hauled away, confirming the accuracy of the assurance given Gleason. He alone, of the group present, had demonstrated an exercise of caution and care. The court’s finding, under these circumstances, that defendant Gleason was not shown to have been negligent, is by no means con
Affirmed. Costs to defendants.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McGUIGAN v. NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY
- Status
- Published