Tommasulo v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.
Tommasulo v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s narrative is that he was driving an automobile on Fitzwater street early on the morning of a
We do not think there is any evidence in the case necessarily showing contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff. The plaintiff’s turning the corner would not, ordinarily have brought him into collision with the car for if the car had kept the track he would not have been struck. We think the jury could conclude the plaintiff was warranted in believing that he would not incur any danger if he would veer around the corner instead of going across the street: See Tustin v. Hawes, 62 Pa. Superior Ct. 205.
The more serious question is as to whether there is sufficient evidence to show negligence on the part of the defendant company. It is the rule of law in Pennsylvania that in cases where the relation of carrier and passenger is not present, the plaintiff must offer evidence that the defendant carrier was negligent: Kepner v. Traction Co., 183 Pa. 24. It was said in Caffrey v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., 249 Pa. 364, that there are many such cases in which it is not required that the facts relied on to show negligence be established by direct and positive proof. Thus it was held in Janock v. Baltimore & O. R. R. Co., 252 Pa. 199, that where a pedestrian was injured by the derailment of freight cars that an inference of the defective condition of the tracks or cars could be inferred from the speed of the cars and the curve of the track. We quote from the opinion in that case, “It no doubt will be conceded that freight cars do not ordinarily leave their tracks in rounding curves. When they do so, the natural
It is still the rule of law that the happening of the accident in such cases as this one is not evidence of negligence but the quantum of proof necessary to establish negligence under such circumstances need be very slight: Geiser v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co., 223 Pa. 170. We think the matters involved in the case were properly left to the jury.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.