Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1916

Needham v. Southern Railway Co.

Needham v. Southern Railway Co.
Supreme Court of North Carolina · Decided April 19, 1916 · Oubiam
88 S.E. 495; 171 N.C. 763; 1916 N.C. LEXIS 169 (South Eastern Reporter)

Needham v. Southern Railway Co.

Opinion of the Court

Pee Oubiam.

This action is to recover damages for injury to two horses. The horses were hitched to a wagon and were at work in a field about three-fourths of a mile from the defendant's railroad crossing.

The plaintiff, Charles Needham, who had the team in charge, left the team standing unhitched, while he went to the rear of the wagon to place *764 an empty barrel in it. Tbe horses became frightened and ran away, and in passing over the crossing of the defendant, while running away, were injured.

There is some evidence that the opening upon the crossing was not as wide as it ought to have been, but sufficient space was left for the passage of teams and vehicles, and it is clear that the real cause of the injury was not the condition of the crossing, but the fright and running away of the horses.

In our opinion, there is no error in the instructions given to 'the jury.

No error.

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