Vannatta v. Central Railroad
Vannatta v. Central Railroad
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
At South Easton the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company has a yard in which are sidings for the reception of its trains. Its yard master designates by signals the sidings to which trains are to be sent. The appellant’s husband was employed by it as an inspector of cars in this yard. On June 30, 1891, the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey, whose railroad connects with that of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, sent into this yard a mixed train, consisting of box, flat and coal cars. The men in charge of it were known as a drill crew and made with it a “ flying drill.” This is accomplished by putting the train into rapid motion and while thus moving cutting loose the locomotive from it, and by its momentum running it into the designated siding. This was done with the train in question and its conductor delivered his waybills for it to the yard master and train dispatcher of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. He then mounted his locomotive; the head brakeman and crew left the train upon the siding and some of them also mounted the locomotive. It was testified by some of the witnesses that a whistle was blown and that the locomotive started back to Phillipsburg. Upon the arrival of the train upon the siding appellant’s husband‘began to inspect its cars, and while so engaged under the second car at the west end of the train the Central Railroad Company’s employees, finding that the train had not entirely cleared the siding, returned with their locomotive, and pushed it forward. Appellant’s husband was at this time under the bumpers, was unable to crawl out and was killed.
The learned trial judge held that when the Central Railroad
The vice of the position lies in the assumption that the point of the connection of the two railroads was the actual place of delivery of the train, and that all that was done between that point and the siding in the yard of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company was done in performance of a duty which the latter company was required to do. A connecting carrier is bound to deliver the goods to a succeeding one, or at least be ready to deliver them. It has the right to decline freight not delivered within reasonable times before the departure of trains, or when not delivered at the place designated for the delivery. -
“ The liability of a connecting carrier does not begin, and the duty of the first carrier is not completed until there has been an actual delivery to the connecting one: ” American and English Encyclopedia of Law, volume 2, page 869.
In the present case there was no delivery intended at the point where these roads connected with each other, but the place of delivery was upon a designated siding in the yard of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and when therefore the train in question was placed upon the siding so designated, and the train accepted by the latter company, it was then a delivery. This train was placed upon the siding, the waybills were delivered, the crew of the Central Railroad Company in charge of it left it, the engineer of the locomotive whistled and started to return to New Jersey, as testified by some of the witnesses. The receipt of the train upon .the siding, the delivery of the
It cannot be said that because the yard master designated the siding upon which the train was to be placed, it, from the time of such designation, became that of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and the Central Railroad Company became a mere employee of the first named company. The yard master of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company indicated where the trains were to be placed upon the sidings by the connecting company. Such designation of a siding did not change in any way the custody or control of the train. The Central Railroad Company’s employees remained as such in charge until the delivery of the train upon the siding indicated. It is necessary to have a yai'd master to designate in yards the sidings for the receipt of trains, otherwise such confusion would arise as to practically impede the business of the yard. The designation by such yard master did not constitute a delivery to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company or an acceptance by it of the train. If it did not, the control of that train did not pass to that company. It follows therefore that the Central Railroad Company while thus moving the train to the siding was not an employee of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. It was about making its delivery to that company and was not doing any duty to be performed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. When it placed that train upon the siding, delivered its waybills to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, withdrew its brakemen and conductor from it, whistled and signaled to return its locomotive to New Jersey and started back, it completed its delivery of the train. The learned trial judge therefore erred in holding that the- Central Railroad Company of New Jersey while thus hauling the train in question from the connection of the two roads to this point was an employee of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.
As to the application of the act of 1868, relating to railroad companies and common carriers, defining their liabilities, etc., the learned trial judge expressed no opinion, because he said it was not necessary under his view of the case to decide the question. As the case must be retried it is proper that the
It will be observed in that case that the crew had actually delivered the car to the steel company and that although there was a joint use of the track by the steel company and the railroad company the plaintiff was not within the statute. In the present case, this train of cars having been delivered to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, it would follow as in that case that the statute did not apply to the appellant’s husband. At the time of the accident he cannot be treated as an employee of the Central Railroad Company. He was not working about its cars or its railroad, but on the contrary was engaged in work about the cars of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and about its track.
It was contended that the present case was within the rulings of Mulherrin v. R. R., 81 Pa. 366, and Stone v. R. R., 132 Pa. 206. It will be found that in the first case one company owned the track and the other had the right of trackage for its cars. There were two railroad companies operating, under an agreement, one track. It was thus substantially the road of each company and the court held that it was not a question of the extent of the title. It was by reason of the joint agreement the road of the defendant, and this was sufficient to bring
The learned trial judge expressed no opinion in his charge upon the subject of contributory negligence. Where there is a reasonable doubt as to the facts or the inferences from them, the question of negligence is a question for the jury. In this case, as there are reasonable doubts both as to the facts as well as to the inferences, the question of contributory negligence with proper instructions is one for the jury.
Judgment reversed and a venire facias de novo awarded.
Reference
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- Vannatta v. Central Railroad of New Jersey
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- Railroads — Connecting carriers. The liability of a connecting carrier does not begin, and the duty of the first carrier is not completed, until there has been an actual delivery to the connecting carrier. Negligence — Railroads—Connecting lines — Fellow servants — Act of 1868. Where no delivery of goods is intended at the point where two railroads connect with each other, but the delivery takes place in the yards of the connecting company beyond the point where the roads meet, the operation of trains by the first company in the yards of the second company is not in performance of a duty which the second company is required to do, and employees of the two companies are not fellow servants within the meaning of the act of April 4, 1868. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Company and the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey connect at Easton. The Lehigh Yalley Railroad Company has a yard with sidings on its own line at South Easton. Cars for the Lehigh Yalley Railroad are not delivered by the Central Railroad at the point where the roads connect, but beyond this point in the yards of the Lehigh Valley Railroad at South Easton. Plaintiff’s husband was employed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad as an inspector of cars in this yard. The Central Railroad Company moved a train into this yard, and the yard master designated by signals the siding to which the train was to be sent. The train was put into rapid motion and while thus moving the locomotive was out loose from it, and the train by its own momentum ran into the-designated siding. The conductor delivered his waybills for it to the, yard master of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and then with his crew mounted the locomotive and left the train upon the siding. Upon the arrival of the train plaintiff’s husband began to inspect its-ears, and while so engaged under a car, the Central Railroad Company’s employees, \\ finding that the train had not entirely cleared the siding, returned with their locomotive and pushed it forward. Plaintiff’s husband was unable to crawl out and was killed. Held, (1) that the Central Railroad Company, while hauling the train in question from the connection of the two roads to the siding in the yard was not an employee of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and (2) that the act of April 4,1868, did not apply to plaintiff’s husband in this case. Gontributory negligence — Disputed facts. Where there is a reasonable doubt as to the facts or the inferences from, them, the question of contributory negligence is a question for the jury.