Quigley v. Adams Express Co.
Quigley v. Adams Express Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This action was brought to recover damages for injuries resulting to the plaintiff from the bite of a horse belonging to the defendant. The horse was one of the team attached to a wagon backed up to a platform at a depot of the defendant, and in the language of the plaintiff’s statement of claim “ with the horses’ heads facing the sidewalk used by the general public.” It is averred in the statement that the defendant knew that the horse “ was accustomed to attack and bite mankind.” And in the plaintiff’s statement of the question involved, it is assumed that there was evidence that the horse had bitten other people. The plaintiff’s case proceeds, therefore, on the theory that knowledge by the owner of a domestic animal of its vicious habits must be established in order to support an action. And such is the law of this state. To establish liability on the defendant, it was necessary to prove a vicious propensity of the
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- Quigley v. Adams Express Company
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- Syllabus
- Negligence — Animals—Bite of a horse — Burden of proof — Declarations— Evidence. In an action to recover damages for injuries resulting from the bite of a horse, the burden is upon the plaintiff to show that the horse was an animal of vicious habits, and that his vicious propensities were known to the defendant. In such a case declarations of a person purporting to be the driver to the effect that the horse had bitten other people, arc insufficient in themselves to submit to the jury on the question of the viciousness of the horse, and the knowledge of the defendant, where it does not appear that the person making the declaration was present when the biting occurred, and that he made the statement after the plaintiff had gone to a hospital to have his wound dressed, and had returned therefrom.