City of Cincinnati v. Hiles
City of Cincinnati v. Hiles
Opinion of the Court
This case is in this court on error to the judgment of the superior court of Cincinnati, wherein defendant in error recovered a judgment against the plaintiff in error in the sum of $1,250.
The Cincinnati Traction Company filed a demurrer to the petition on the ground that it did no? state a cause of action against the company and that there was a misjoinder of parties defendant. The court found this demurrer well taken, and dismissed the traction company, and the case then proceeded to trial against the city of Cincinnati, witli the result hereinbefore stated.
The case was argued in this court quite a long time ago and has been under discussion by us several times, and only lately have we arrived at a conclusion which is satisfactory to all the members of the court.
Considerable evidence was heard on the trial, and after a careful consideration we are of the opinion that there is very little, if any, conflict in the evidence. The facts are substantially these: There is no question as to the injuries received by the plaintiff; there is no question but that the street was very much out of repair, not only at the point where the accident occurred, but the street generally was very much out of repair and in very bad condition. The hole in the street into which plaintiff stepped and received her injuries was described as being about four feet long and two feet wide, and at some points as deep as eight inches. It was so deep, in fact, that the rail and ties of the street car company were exposed to view. The point at which the plaintiff alighted was called a halfway stop. Not far from this halfway stop was a regular stop, and the evidence shows that at that point the street was in a safe condition, and the evidence
The evidence further shows that the condition of the street was in plain view from the surrounding houses and sidewalks and was in no way concealed.
Under these circumstances has plaintiff any right to recover in this case ? We are of the opinion that she has not. She not only had knowledge in fact but was bound to know that the street was out of repair at the point where she alighted from the car. It does not appear' that there were any facts existing at the time she alighted which prevented her from using the knowledge which she had as to the bad condition of the street. It seems to us that she did not exercise that ordinary care and prudence which one is bound to use in stepping onto a street which she knows to be in an unsafe condition.
Whether or not the street car company was guilty of negligence in the stopping of its car at a point in the street where the street was in-a dangerous condition and inviting the passengers to alight at that point and thereby became liable to the plaintiff, is not here for our consideration, as the plaintiff elected to proceed against the city of Cincinnati alone.
But it seems to us that the negligence of the city, in permitting the street to get out of repair,- was
Under the facts we think the court below should have directed the jury to return a verdict for the city, that the judgment should be reversed and judgment entered in this court on that ground.
Other errors were assigned, but under the holding at which we have arrived they are not material.
Judgment reversed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.