McPherson v. Hudson & Manhattan Railroad
McPherson v. Hudson & Manhattan Railroad
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
About eight a. m., on June 15th, 1920, the plaintiff-respondent (hereinafter called the plaintiff), desiring to be transported from Jersey City to downtown Yew York, went to. the Summit avenue station in Jersey City of file Hudson and Manhattan Eailroad Company, the defendant-appellant (hereafter referred to as the defendant). The plaintiff paid her fare and walked to- the station platform. A train having as its destination what is termed downtown Yew York pulled into the station and stopped. The plaintiff went to the rear door of the third car of the train and found it closed. She thereupon went towards the centre door of the same ear, which was open. As she was entering the doorway the door without warning closed upon her, pinning her between the door and the door-jamb. She was injured. The car was of the usual type used on the railroad of the defendant. The doors ojien by air pressure. The air pressure: for each door is controlled by a. button. Buttons jilaced on the front platform of a car control the front door and the centre door of the car. Buttons placed on the rear platform control the rear door and centre door of the ear.
The plaintiff brought suit in the Hudson County Circuit Court to recover damages for her injury. The allegation of the defendant’s negligence in the complaint was stated in the following words: “That on'the- said 15th day of June, 1920, the said plaintiff became and was a passenger of said de
The only theory of negligence upon which a case can be submitted is the one alleged in the complaint. Murphy v. Railway Co., 71 N. J. L. 5. This principle of law was observed by the trial judge in the present case in his charge to the jury. A judgment was recovered by the plaintiff. The defendant has appealed to this court. The grounds of appeal relied upon in the argument made for the appellant are the failure of the trial court to either nonsuit the plaintiff or direct a verdict for the defendant. Both motions were made, refused and exceptions duly taken.
The plaintiff was a passenger. The defendant was a common carrier. A carrier is bound to use a high degree of care to protect a passenger from danger that foresight can anticipate. Rivers v. Railroad Co., 83 N. J. L. 513. At the close of the plaintiff’s case the facts proven did not, in our opinion, warrant the granting of the motion to nonsuit. The presumption was that the centre door was opened by an employe of the defendant. The open door was an invitation to the plaintiff to enter the car. When the door was suddenly closed, catching the plaintiff, the presumption was that it was closed by an employe of the defendant. From these facts there arose a presumption of negligence on the part of the defendant It was such an accident that its mere happening charged the defendant with negligence and placed upon it the burden of showing that the plaintiff’s injury was not due to any fault on its part. The doctrine of res ipsa loqvMer applied. The motion to nonsuit was, we think, properly denied.
Frasco, the other employe who< testified, was a platform guard at the Summit avenue station. When the train which, the plaintiff entered came in Frasco' testified lie was standing on the station platform near the “fairs and about throe feet from where Eekley was stationed on the train; that he saw the centre door of the centre ear open and close; that he then ran to the rear of the car and saw a man fooling with a button; that he shouted to him and the mar. entered the car.
The defendant argues that this testimony is conclusive as to the centre door of the ear in question not having been operated by its servant. The defendant seeks to support its argument by the recent case of Maphet v. Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Co., 98 N. J. L. 369, which holds that whore evidence is equally consistent with the existence or nonexistence of negligence, the question of negligence vel non should not be left to the jury. In this case a passenger of the defendant railroad company stepped from, a, car to the station platform and fell by reason of stepping upon a fuse plug. It was shown that such fuse plugs were sometimes used by the defendant to push a button for the purpose of opening a door. It also appeared that the same fuses were
The judgment of the Circuit Court is affirmed, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HARRIET I. McPHERSON v. HUDSON AND MANHATTAN RAILROAD COMPANY
- Status
- Published