Miller v. American Car & Foundry Co.
Miller v. American Car & Foundry Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Appellee’s automobile was damaged in collision with an iron girder 36% feet long by 1 foot wide, being handled by appellant partly on a public highway and partly on its own property. He brought this suit to recover the loss. He averred that while driving on East street in the town of Bloomsburg “the defendant company without right-negligently caused an iron or steel girder or channel suspended on a crane to be suddenly and without warning thrust and projected, from its said works on the east side of said East street......into and across the usually traveled portion of said street and at an altitude where it would interfere with automobiles lawfully traveling said East street and directly in front of said automobile......”; that appellant failed to give warning or otherwise to protect travel on the highway. He obtained a verdict and judgment.
The record shows that appellant’s shops are located on the east side of East street between Fifth and Sixth streets; on November 15, 1915, during a drizzling rain, appellee drove south on East street, intending to turn westward into Sixth street; while approaching that street, on his right side it became necessary to pass a horse and buggy and (though this was disputed) a milk wagon or huckster wagon. He said “When I got I suppose within ten or fifteen feet of these wagons I looked ahead of my car and there was nothing in the road at all. Then as I approached, the car was moving down towards
A witness for appellant said that plaintiff “run into the stringer.” Appellant called its superintendent, who testified that he held that position for fourteen years and that “in the course of its manufacturing business there, it had been using the eastern side and part of what is known as East street,” “for storage of materials, wheels, steel, bar iron and fabric materials.” On being asked whether appellant had any “authority by ordinance to use this street and sidewalk,” he answered “None that I know of.” There was no evidence of municipal consent.
1. Appellant complains of a sentence in the charge in which the court said that the use of East street by appellant for manufacturing purposes was unlawful, and that appellee in driving on the street had “a right to presume that the street will be free from any obstruction
Neither complaint can be sustained; without proper municipal authority, which was lacking, defendant had no right to make the permanent use of the street described in the evidence: Commonwealth v. Moorehead, 118 Pa. 344, and authorities there cited.
2. Appellant also complains of an expression in the charge in which the court referred to the overhead railway already described, and stated that the evidence showed that it was the practice of appellant to use this railway “in such a manner that the steel or iron which was handled upon it was run into East street so that a portion of the iron or steel extended into East street a distance of about six feet.” Appellant’s objection is that as the record disclosed the handling of but one girder at the time of the accident, the court should not have referred to “the practice of the defendant.” Considering all the evidence in the case with the entire charge, we are all satisfied that appellant was not prej
The remaining assignment is to the refusal to grant a new trial, but as there is no suggestion of abuse of discretion anywhere in the record, that assignment is dismissed.
The jury was fairly instructed; negligence was defined; they were told that unless appellant was negligent in handling the girder in question, and that such negligence caused the accident, their verdict must be for defendant; the rule as to contributory negligence was stated and no objection is made by appellant to any part of the charge relating to these essentials.
The judgment is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.