Skerman v. Philadelphia & R.
Skerman v. Philadelphia & R.
Opinion of the Court
“Q. How much- did you make in that month? How much do you say you made in that month? A. When I was working for a company— Q. How much did you make with Irish Bros, for the month that you worked before this accident? A. I made about $90. Q. Ninety dollars for that month; was that net to you? A. Yes.”
Upon the next page the witness was asked:
“Q. You say you worked for them steady before this accident without any break? A. Yes. Q. Without any break, and you averaged $30 a week net to-yourself; that is, $5 a day? A. Yes, sir.”
“Q. You didn’t make any less than $30 at any time? A. No; not less than $30.”
The court has a definite recollection of the way in which the plaintiff answered these questions, and considered at the time what the effect would be upon the jury. Result of investigation after the trial proving that the plaintiff’s actual earnings were much less than 890 for the month, and that his work was irregular and his average earnings small, is not after-discovered evidence. It is impossible for the court to estimate how much the jury assumed that the plaintiff would work, in accordance with their view of his habits and personality.
The court cannot conclude that the plaintiff committed perjury, and it has already denied a motion to set aside the verdict as excessive, from tlie standpoint of the evidence and the injuries.
Motion denied.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SKERMAN v. PHILADELPHIA & R. RY. CO.
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- L New Trial In an action for personal injuries sustained at a railroad crossing, affidavits that a certain person, if called as a witness, would testily that plaintiff hurried down the street, did not stop when he reached the gate, and went under it just as a train came along, although in direct conflict with the plaintiffs evidence on the trial, do not present evidence newly discovered, or so plainly likely to affect the result, as to necessitate a new trial. [ Ed. Note.—For other cases, see New Trial, Cent Dig. 201, 207; Dee. Dig. 2. New Trial Where a physical opportunity existed to obtain certain witnesses during the trial, but there was lack of time to investigate for the purpose of determining whether their evidence would be introduced, such evidence is not newly discovered in the legal sense. IJCd. Note.—For other cases, see New Trial, Cent. Dig. §§ 205, 206; Dec. Dig. 8. New Trial After-investigation cannot supply, as newly discovered evidence, something that the parties might have gone into before the trial, if it had been considered material. [Ed. Note.—For other cases, see New Trial, Cent. Dig. §§ 205, 206; Dec. Dig. 4, New Trial In an action for personal injuries, where plaintiff had testified that his earning capacity was $30 a week, and that he had made $90 during the month preceding the trial, evidence, from investigation after the trial, that his earning capacity was small, and that he had actually earned much less than $90 during the preceding month, did not constitute after-discovered evidence. [Ed. Note.—For other cases, see New Trial, Cent Dig. §§ 183, 201-204, 208, 209; Dec. Dig. QzzzFor other cañes see same topic & KEY-NUMBER in all Key-Numbered Digests & Indexes