Germann v. Great Northern Railway Co.
Germann v. Great Northern Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff was a passenger on a railway train of the defendant,
On tbe second trial of the action there was a verdict for the plaintiff for $1,100, as stated in the return. The defendant appealed from an order denying its motion for a new trial, and here urges that the order must be reversed, and a new trial granted, on the ground that the verdict is excessive, and given under the influence of passion and prejudice, and, further, that the trial court erred in submitting to the jury the question of exemplary damages. It is not claimed tbat tbe instruction as to exemplary damages was not, as an abstract proposition, legally correct; but it is insisted tbat tbe evidence did not justify tbe submission of the question to the jury-
It appears from tbe evidence tbat tbe plaintiff, witb two friends, took seats in a day coach of the train, and tbat tbe plaintiff repeatedly asked tbe cook, evidently believing tbat be was tbe porter, to open one of tbe seats in tbe car, to which requests tbe cook gave no heed by word or act. A fight followed, but as to which party opened it tbe evidence is conflicting. If it was tbe cook, tbe admitted fact tbat tbe plaintiff called bim a “coon” mitigates, but does not justify, bis act; and, if the fight bad not been renewed, tbe submission to tbe jury of tbe question of exemplary damages would have been error. Tbe evidence, however, taking tbe most favorable view of it for tbe plaintiff, tends to show tbat tbe plaintiff’s face was cut and was
The doctor in his testimony described the plaintiff’s injuries as follows: “He was very much covered up with blood, and the right side of his head here was scratched up, just like scratches, and I remember the eyelid was cut so it hung down; a cut over the lid, so the lid hung down. The upper lip was cut through, and there was a straight cut across the back of the head here (indicating). * * The right thumb was bitten almost to the bone on both sides, right near the joint.”
The evidence to which we have referred was contradicted in material particulars by evidence on behalf of the defendant. The evidence on behalf of the plaintiff, if true, and of this the jury were the judges, tends to show that the assault on the plaintiff in the chair car was malicious and vicious, and justified the trial court in submitting to the jury the question of exemplary damages. While we regard the award of damages, in view of all the facts disclosed by the evidence, as very liberal, yet it- is not so large as to justify us in setting' aside a second verdict- and sending the case down for a third ■trial.
Order affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EUGENE GERMANN v. GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY
- Status
- Published