Terry v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
Terry v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The original statement sets forth “that the said railroad in the Borough of Dorranceton, or partly in the Borough of Dorranceton and partly in the Borough of Luzerne, crosses a street known as John street, in the said Borough of Dorranceton, where the said street connects with or runs into Marion street in the said Borough of Luzerne; that the said railroad crosses said street or streets at grade.” These boroughs are contiguous, the line between them being about the center line of the railroad. John street and Marion street end at the railroad, or rather intersect the streets running parallel with the railroad in their respective boroughs.
After a careful examination of the plaintiff’s evidence relating to the location, use and existence of the permissive crossing, and the testimony relative to the place where the deceased was found, we are convinced that there was sufficient evidence from which the jury might reasonably infer that the deceased was injured while using the permissive crossing. When the deceased was found on a permissive highway, which crosses the railroad at grade, it being a public highway to the extent of its use, the presumption is that he was rightfully on the highway for the purpose of crossing and that he was injured while crossing: Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. v. Hall, 61 Pa. 361; Welsh v. Erie, Etc., Railroad Co., 181 Pa. 461. We cannot agree with the learned counsel for the appellant that with mathematical accuracy it can be stated positively from the testimony that the place at which Terry was found was some distance west, or towards Kingston, from the permissive pathway. The. plaintiff fixes the. location of the deceased, at a point close to the outside rail of the track next tó and immediately opposite John street. The location of the permissive crossing runs diagonally from John street to Marion street. Prom this description it might be fairly found by the jury that the place where the deceased was lying was on the permissive crossing. Appellant can
Shortly before six o’clock on the morning of December 16, 1910, while it was quite dark, the deceased, who had apparently gone from his home to a canning factory close by, where he worked, to secure two pails of coal for domestic use, while returning was run down by a train of the defendant and received injuries from which he died in a few days. No one saw the accident, nor is there any evidence fixing the deceased on the permissive crossing before the accident occurred. There is no dispute that the defendant was injured by a train, and the identity of the train is apparently admitted. From sufficient evidence the jury has fixed the place of the accident as being on the permissive crossing. At such crossing the defendant owed to those using it the duty of reasonable care, and whether or not such reasonable care was exercised is ordinarily a question for the jury under all the evidence: Lodge v. Pitts. & L. E. R. R. Co., 243 Pa. 10; Taylor v. Delaware & Hudson Canal Co., 113 Pa. 162. In the absence of evidence, the deceased is presumed to have stopped, looked and listened before crossing a railroad at a public highway; but the defendant is likewise entitled to the presumption that through its agents it did its full duty in approaching the cross
Grant v. Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington R. R. Co., 215 Pa. 265, relied upon by appellant, is not in conflict with the conclusion here reached. In that case it was held that where a person is known to reach a highway crossing a railroad at grade by two routes, one of which he can lawfully use, and in the use of the other he is a trespasser, and when the body of such person is found on the tracks off the highway, and blood stains at the highway indicate that he had been struck while on the crossing, the Supreme Court held that the jury' would not be permitted to guess how the man reached the highway, there being no evidence as to which route he had used to reach the grade crossing at the time he was killed.
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed at the cost of the appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Terry v. Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Co.
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- Negligence — Railroads—Statement of claim — Amendment. A statement of claim in a negligence case against a railroad may be amended so as to limit and define the precise location of the accident within the space described in the statement, if it does not impose any new or different duty'on the defendant other than that originally averred. Negligence — Railroads—Death while crossing railroad — Permissive crossing — Presumption—Evidence—Case for jury. Where S person is found dead on a permissive highway which crosses a railroad at grade, the presumption is that he was rightfully on the highway, and that he was killed while crossing. At a permissive crossing a railroad company owes to those using it the duty of reasonable care; and whether or not such reasonable care was exercised, is ordinarily a question for the jury under all the evidence. Where a person is found dead on a permissive crossing over a railroad, the presumption is, in the absence of evidence, that he stopped, looked and listened before crossing; but the railroad company is likewise entitled to the presumption that through its agents it did its full duty in approaching the crossing. Where a person testifies that he knew of a particular train passing a particular point at a certain time, that he had observed the train for three months and was looking for it at thé time an acccident occurred, that there was no headlight, and that he listened for a whistle to be blown or a bell rung, and that he heard neither, such evidence is sufficient to submit to a jury to rebut the presumption that the company had done all that was required of it in approaching a grade crossing, although all of the trainmen, who did not know of the accident until hours afterwards, testified to the contrary. Where a person is found dead at a permissive crossing and there is no dispute that he was struck by a train, but no one saw the accident which happened in the nighttime, the deceased cannot be charged with contributory negligence as a matter of law because the tracks were for some distance straight, and in daytime an' approaching train could be easily seen.