Railroad Co. v. Walrath
Railroad Co. v. Walrath
Opinion of the Court
Two questions are presented : first, as to the liability of the railroad company for injury to a passenger traveling on one of its trains in a coach of a sleeping-car company; secondly, as to the presumption arising from proof of the injury.
1. In Southern Express Co. v. Railway Co., 10 Fed. Rep. 210, Miller, J., said that “the express business is a branch of the carrying trade that has, by the necessities of commerce and the usages of those engaged in transportation, become known and recognized“ that it is the duty of every railroad company to provide such conveyances, by special cars or otherwise, attached to their freight or passenger trains as are required for the safe and proper transportation of this express matter on their roads “that under these circumstances there does not exist* on the part of the railroad company, the right to open and inspect all packages so carried; ” and “ that, when matter is so confided to the charge of an agent or messenger (of the express company), the railroad company is no longer liable to all the obligations of a common carrier, but that, when loss or injury occurs, the liability depends upon the exercise of due cai’e, skill and diligence on the part of the railroad company.” And see Penn. Co. v. Woodworth, 26 Ohio St. 585.
Counsel for plaintiff in error argue in this case that sleeping-cars have became recognized as so far necessary to the comfort and convenience of passengers by railway, that railway companies may be compelled, in like manner, to attach the coaches of sleeping car companies to their trains, where they have failed to provide their own cars for such purpose, in which case there should be a corresponding modification of the liability of the railroad company, and that whether the arrangement between the companies be enforced or conventional, the railroad company should not be liable for injury to passengers resulting solely from negligence of the agents of the sleeping car company.
In support of this view, attention is called to the fact that
2 As to the presumption stated in the charge, counsel for plaintiff in error say that there was no evidence that the injury resulted from defect in the car or any part of it. Hence, the injury was occasioned by the negligence°of the porter in securing the berth in its place, or by-the interference of some other person with the fastenings of the berth. This statement is probably correct. Now, in charging that the burden was on "Walrath to show the injury resulted from the negligence of the defendant below, and that he could only recover for negligence traceable to the defendant’s fault, the court virtually charged that he was required to show that he was without fault. This being shown, we think the court might then well say, under the circumstances, that the negligence of the defendant might be presumed. We are aware that upon this subject the authorities are in some conflict. Roscoe’s N. P. Ev. (14th ed.) 695; Thompson on Car. Pas. 209 ; Schouler on Bailments, 642 ; 2 Wait’s Act. & Def. 90 ; Pierce on Rail. (ed. of 1881) 298; Johnson v. Railroad Co., 20 N. Y. 65; Readhead v. Midland Railw. Co., 4 L. R. Q. B. 379; Hyman v. Nyle, 6 Q. B. D. 685; Great West. Railw. v. Fawcett, 1 Moore (P. C.) 101,
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.