Schmidt v. McGill
Schmidt v. McGill
Opinion of the Court
We have before us two assignments of error for our consideration : the first to the court’s answer to one of the defendant’s points, and the other to the charge. The defendant requested the court to rule that “ if the jury believe that at the time of the alleged accident, the defendant’s driver was traveling in an ordinary manner, the defendant is not liable for an injury resulting from the use of the public street.” This request was refused. It is also alleged that the charge of the court was inadequate in this, that it did not refer to the facts proved at the trial, and did not properly direct the attention of the jury to the evidence tending to establish contributory negligence on part of the plaintiff below.
We are of the opinion that neither of these assignments can be sustained. The first, because it assumes the very point in controversy. The question was, Was the driver of the beer wagon traveling over the public crossing in an ordinary manner ? — that is, with the ordinary care which was requisite when passing a point such as that where the accident happened. Common sense will teach any person of ordinary mental calibre, that what is ordinary care must depend largely upon circumstances. Trotting a team of horses at a “fast rate for a beer wagon,” may be well enough along the open street, whilst on the other hand, it may be gross carelessness when passing a crossing where foot passengers are constantly to be expected, and among them many old people and children. As the learned judge, before whom this case was tried, well said, under such circumstances both parties are held to ordinary care, and the careless party must suffer the consequences resulting from his own carelessness.
Here was a place where both parties must be on the lookout ; the one for passing teams, and the other for foot passengers. Both have the, right of way, and both must be equally cautious. How then, is it possible to apply the doctrine found in Waters v. Wing, 59 Pa. 211, to the contention in hand? The accident in that case did not occur- at a crossing, but on the open road. The plaintiff’s son, on horseback, was approaching the defendant, who was driving his buggy along the highway, which was abundantly wide for the safe passage of both, and the former ran his horse so hard against one of
Nor can we discover any defect such as that complained of in the learned judge’s charge. It is true, he does not comment specially on the evidence, and calls attention oidy to such of it as indicates the position of the wagon when the witnesses first saw it. But the testimony was neither complex nor voluminous; therefore, particular reference to it was unnecessary. The attention, however, of the jury was very clearly called to the law governing the case. The plaintiff must establish the fact of negligence on part of the defendant’s driver; if both parties were in fault, the verdict must be for the defendant ; they must be satisfied that there was negligence by the one party alone. This was surely so plain that the ordinary juryman could not fail to understand it, or if he did so fail, it was not the fault of the court.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT v. MARY McGILL
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- In an action to recover damages for injuries received by a foot-passenger when struck by a beer wagon at a city street-crossing, the questions of negligence of the defendant in driving recklessly and of contributory negligence of the plaintiff in not looking out for the approach of the team, were raised by the testimony: Held, 1. That it was not error to refuse to charge that if the jury believed that at the time of the accident the driver was traveling in an ordinary manner, the defendant was not liable for an injury resulting from the use of a public street. 2. That the request assumed the very point in controversy, the question being: Was the driver traveling over the crossing in an ordinary manner — that is, with the ordinary care requisite when passing a point such as that where the accident happened P Waters v. Wing, 59 Pa. 211; Goshorn v. Smith, 92 Pa. 435, and Baker v. Fehr, 97 Pa. 70, distinguished. 3. That at a city street-crossing, where both the team and the foot-passenger have the right of way and both are required to exercise care, the material question is, who was negligent, if either P and the solution thereof is clearly for the jury and not for the court. 4. That, as the testimony was neither complex nor voluminous, particular reference to it in the charge to the jury was unnecessary, the attention of the jury being clearly called to the law of the case.