Armbrecht v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
Armbrecht v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action under the Federal Employers’ .Liability act. 'There was evidence from -which the jury-might infer that the deceased was engaged in removing snpw from tlie tracks, both intrastate and interstate, at the Port Morris yard; -that after working for some time it became necessary to back .flic work train east gome four miles to Chester Junction for the purpose of getting hack to the Port Morris yard on the westbound tracks; that more snow was to be removed; that the train was held some mininos at Chester Junction; that the men were told by tlie Hiose” to so in the covered car as it was raining and freezing at the lime;
The trial judge left it to the jury to say whether the deceased was engaged in interstate commerce and whether there was negligence on the part of the defendant. We think the evidence required him to take this course. The fact that there was a temporary cessation in the work of removing snow, and a temporary rest from work, did not require a finding that the decedent at the moment of the accident was not engaged in interstate commerce; nor do wo think that the fact- that lie was about to take refuge from the storm in the covered ear makes any difference. That was a mere incident of the employment which did not thereby change its general character. The work was the removal of snow from railway tracks, interstate as well as intrastate; it had merely suffered a temporary interruption due to the necessities rU traffic on a busy railway, and in some degree to the incleim ency of the weather. It is enough to refer to New York Central Railroad v. Carr, 238 U. S. 260, and to Shanks v. Delaware, Lackawanna anid Western Railroad, 239 Id. 556, as showing the line of cleavage between the cases. Other cases are cited in the opinion in the Shanks case. What we have said is enough to distinguish the present case from Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad Co. v. Winters, 242 Id. 353, and to bring it within the principle of Louisville and Nashville Railroad Co. v. Parker, Id. 13. Other recent cases on one side or the other of the line are Erie Railroad Co. v. Welsh, Id. 303; Illinois Central Railroad Co. v. Peery, Id. 292.
The question of negligence is more difficult. The failure of the engineer of the passenger train to blow a whistle until too late for any good .does not indicate negligence, since lie could not be-supposed to anticipate that men would lie. walk'ingon the track at that point. But we think the failure to warn the men that the passenger train was behind time and
The judgment is affirmed, with costs.
For affirmance—The Chancellor, Garrison, Swayzk, Bergen, Mintprx, Kalisch, Black, White, Heppenileimer, Williams,-Taylor, Gardner, JJ. 12.
For reversal—None.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- AUGUSTA ARMBRECHT, ADMINISTRATRIX v. THE DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA AND WESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY
- Status
- Published