John C. Roth Packing Co. v. Williams
John C. Roth Packing Co. v. Williams
Opinion of the Court
This is an action in this court on error to a judgment of the court of common pleas, in which court
Numerous errors are alleged in the petition in error, but only one was urged upon the argument of the case and in the brief submitted. This alleged error is that the judgment is not sustained by the evidence.
In the petition, after setting out the appointment of the plaintiff as administrator of the estate of the deceased and the allegation of the corporate capacity of the defendant, the plaintiff alleged that the building of the defendant is so constructed that instead of a continuous front wall along the entire length, there is an open space about 50 feet in length and extending to the height of the first floor; that the second and upper floors immediately above said space are supported on three pillars, which are located on a line with the front wall at a distance of about 23 feet apart, and that this open space extends back from the sidewalk and front wall of the house a distance of about 28 feet; that the floor of said open space is covered with concrete and slopes towards the street; that on the 14th day of June, 1911, said open space was temporarily used for the storage of automobile trucks belonging to the defendant company; that on or about the 14th day of June, 1911, said Roy Eyer, deceased, was lawfully on the sidewalk on the north side of Gest street, walking east; that when said decedent arrived at the point in the sidewalk immediately in front of the open space above referred to, an automobile belonging to the defendant company, without any signal or warning and without any person
The defendant filed an answer admitting the appointment of plaintiff as administrator of said estate, and that the defendant is a corporation under the laws of Ohio; that it is the owner of the plant on the north side of Gest street and the open space in said premises as set out in the petition. Defendant further says that said open space was temporarily used for storing automobile trucks belonging to defendant company.
For a second defense the defendant alleged that at the time of the accident and prior thereto and at the present time, it is in the business of buying, curing and selling at wholesale and retail meats to be used for food for residents and citizens of Cincinnati and throughout a large portion of the United States; that in the conduct of its business it is the owner of and uses large and extensive buildings and storage warehouses situated on Oehler and Gest streets in said city, and in such business it owns and uses large trucks and vehicles operated by electricity as a motive power, and that each of said trucks weighs about 11,000 pounds; that the
Full time was given to counsel in the argument of the case orally, and able and elaborate briefs have been furnished us, and we have gone over the evidence very carefully, with the result that we are of the opinion that the judgment is sustained by the evidence. From the evidence the jury had a right to find, as they must have done, that Roy Eyer, while walking along the sidewalk next to defendant’s premises, was suddenly struck by an automobile truck which darted out of the defendant’s premises, and was killed by said truck. The jury were warranted by the evidence in finding that said Roy Eyer was in no way responsible for the truck leaving its position on the premises of the plaintiff in error and rushing upon him while he was walking along said sidewalk. The evidence does not clearly show the cause which produced the movement of the truck, but the fact remains that the truck was placed by the defendant in a place unguarded and open, and on a floor of cement slanting towards the sidewalk, in a position where it could be easily got at by persons passing along the street who would be inclined from any motive to interfere with it. While there is no direct evidence which shows that defendant’s employes put in motion said truck, which resulted in the death of said Eyer, still it is equally clear that the defendant did not safely guard and place said truck in a safe and proper place, which seems to us, under the circumstances of this case, to show that the plaintiff’s decedent met his death by reason of the negligence of the de
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The John C. Roth Packing Co. v. Williams, Admr.
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published