Hamlett v. Chicago & Alton Railroad
Hamlett v. Chicago & Alton Railroad
Opinion of the Court
The first objection urged on this appeal relates to instruction No. 3, given for defendant, wherein the jury were told in effect that if the section foreman, Burgess, in charge of the hand car, gave no order to plaintiff to stop the push car, then plaintiff had no right to do so merely upon the direction of some one working under said foreman. It is claimed by appellant that this was error. We can not concur in that view for several reasons. First, the declaration complained of is simply the converse of one contained in instruction No. 1, given for appellant, which told the jury in substance that plaintiff was not guilty of negligence in descending from the push car in front of the hand car, provided he did so by the order or direction to stop the push car given by the section foreman. Secondly, the negligence pleaded- on the part of defendant as to this part of the transaction, was the giving of such an order by its section boss, who was specifically named. Thirdly, plaintiff’s petition, as well as the entire proof, shows that his duty as an employee was to obey the orders of the person put over him as vice-principal, i. e., Burgess, the section
Appellant next complains of this instruction because it embodies the doctrine that if the injury was proximately caused by plaintiff’s negligence, he could not recover. This is the universal law and is in so many words retained as a complete'
Appellant further complains of the second instruction for defendant, which told the jury that there was no evidence of the incompetency of Bowers, the man in charge of the brake on the hand car. _ There was no contrary evidence to this declaration in the record, and defendant’s evidence tended to show the full competency and skill of this particular brakeman. The objection is, therefore, not well taken.
On the issue as to the power of defendant to avert the injury, after the perilous position of plaintiff was discovered, the jury were correctly advised, both in the instructions for plaintiff as well as those given for defendant. The jury found for the defendant on this and other issues submitted to them. "Under the present record we are bound by their verdict and, therefore, affirm the judgment.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.