Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad v. Cantrell

Mississippi Supreme Court
Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad v. Cantrell, 70 Miss. 329 (Miss. 1892)
Cooper

Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad v. Cantrell

Opinion of the Court

Cooper, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

"While the verdict on the facts in evidence in this cause for the defendant would have been more satisfactory to us, we cannot say that the finding in favor of the plaintiff is not supported by the evidence. There is conflict in the testimony in reference to the distance the animal ran in front of the train before it was overtaken and killed, and though we think it probable the train could not have been stopped in time to prevent the injury, even if the evidence of the plaintiff’s witnesses is accepted as fixing the distance the animal ran after getting on the road-bed, we cannot say that the jury was not warranted -in reaching a different conclusion. Under such circumstances, the trial court rightly refused to give the peremptory instruction asked by the defendant.

*332The point principally pressed by counsel for appellant is that the verdict should have been for the defendant, for the reason that the action is brought by A. C. Cantrell — the owner of the animal killed — -for the use of D. E. Cantrell, and'that there is an absence of any evidence tending to show that the usee had or has any interest in the claim sued on. It is settled that actions of this character are, in the'ir nature, ex delicto. Miss. C. R. R. Co. v. Fort, 44 Miss., 423; R. R. Co. v. Andrews, 61 Ib., 474.

In actions of tort there cannot be a usee, and, if one is named, his rights must be disregarded, and the plaintiff will fail of recovery unless the right of the nominal plaintiff be proved. This rule has been applied by this court in various classes of actions: In trespass (Brown v. Thomas, 26 Miss., 335; Lacoste v. Pipkin, 13 Smed. & M., 589); in detinue Handley v. Buckner, 6 Smed. & M., 70); and in replevin (Pearce v. Twichell, 41 Miss., 344; Meyer v. Mosler, 64 Ib., 610).

The judgment is affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham Railroad Company v. A. C. Cantrell
Cited By
7 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Verdict. Supported by evidence. When not set aside. If a verdict is supported by evidence, and the court cannot say the jury was unwarranted in reaching a conclusion, it will not be disturbed, although a finding for the opposite party would have been more satisfactory to the court. 2. Practice. Usee in action ex delicto. Irregularity. An action of damages against a railroad company for killing animals on its track, being ex delicto, should not be brought in the name of one for the use of another. And in an action so brought a recovery against the defendant will not be disturbed for want of proof that the usee had an interest in the suit. ' His connection with the case will be disregarded in passing upon the correctness of the verdict.