Kunsman v. Lehigh Valley Railroad
Kunsman v. Lehigh Valley Railroad
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff, a car inspector in the employ of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, received injuries while at work in repairing a car of his employer in the North Penna. yards at South Bethlehem, at which place three other railroad companies had junction and connecting tracks that were used for making up trains, and the -transfer and repair of cars. On the day of the accident the plaintiff and a fellow workman were engaged in raising the draw-head of a ear which was standing on track No. 6, which track can be entered only by means of a switch connection with the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad» The
Joseph D. Ruple, a witness in behalf of the plaintiff, testified that he was a freight train conductor of the defendant company, and had moved a train of thirteen large gondola cars of the defendant on to track No. 6, and forced them against the cars of the Central Company under which the plaintiff was working, and this act was the immediate cause of plaintiff’s injuries. The yardmaster of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company testified, in substance, that the cars about which the plaintiff was working were rightfully on track No. 6, and that the blue flag rule had been so modified by the employees of all the railroads using the yard — with the assent of their superiors — “ That the general practice at that time with all the car inspectors was to place it on the track between the rails in front of the cars, at no specified distance,” and that this practice had continued for a period of over ten years, and was as effective a use of the flag as by placing it on the end of a car. The defendant offered no testimony, and moved for a nonsuit, which was refused, and a verdict was returned in favor of the plaintiff for $450. On this appeal the single question is raised as to whether, under the evidence, the court should have directed a verdict for the defendant. The whole evidence shows, with reasonable clearness and certainty, that the tracks in the
The trial judge fairly submitted the whole case to the jury, viz: “ If the defendant had notice, I care not in what form or in what way, at the time the defendant’s employees backed in the car, if they did back in the car, that the car ran into was being inspected and the defendant disregarded this notice, such conduct would amount to negligence. If the flag placed where it was, was as effectual in giving notice to the incoming train of the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. as it would have been if it had been placed on the end of the car, and if the flag thus placed was in accordance with the custom of the yard, and if in accordance with the flag being placed where the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co., or the crew that was in charge of that train had knowledge that an inspection was going on in the ear or under the car which the train ran into, then that would be notice to the Lehigh Valley R. R. Co., and if they disregarded the notice they would be guilty of negligence.” Under the authority of Vannatta v. Cent. R. R. of N. J., 154 Pa. 262, the Act of April 4, 1868, P. L. 58, does not apply to this plaintiff, and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elmer J. Kunsman v. Lehigh Valley Railroad Company
- Cited By
- 2 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence — Connecting railroads using common yard — Goemployees. A railroad company is liable where its employees negligently injure an employee of another company engaged in the service of his company in a railroad yard which is used in common by both companies. The Act of April 4, 1868, P. L. 68, as to coemployees, does not apply in such case. Vannatta v. Railroad Co., 154 Pa. 263, followed. In a railroad yard, subject to the joint use of the defendant and three other railroad companies, a ear inspector, in the employ of the Central Railroad' of New Jersey, while occupied under one of the cars of that company on one of the shifting tracks of the yard, was injured by reason of the negligent handling of a Lehigh Yalley train which was backed on to the track, and against the car which was being inspected by plaintiff, in disregard of a flag signal duly planted to protect the car; such flag being the signal recognized by and known to the defendant company and its employees.