Davidson v. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.
Davidson v. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This case was before us first in 1895 on the appeal of the plaintiff from a judgment of nonsuit. The question then
It shows that upon approaching the crossing the plaintiff complied fully with the rule which required him to stop, look and listen before attempting to cross; and that while waiting and listening he heard a train whistle. He then waited for the train to come in sight, so that he might know upon which of the lines of railroad it was approaching. It came presently into view and proved to be upon the lower of the railroads. He continued waiting until it should pass, and when it was out of the way he says he looked up and down the defendant’s road, which was that nearest to him, and seeing nothing, moved on to make the crossing. The noise of the receding train was considerable, so that the approach of a train upon the nearer road might not have been distinguishable. While in the act of crossing he was struck by the defendant, whose train, coming from the opposite direction, approached without signal by whistle or bell, and would have passed over so much of the track as was visible from the crossing in a little less than thirty seconds. The alleged contributory negligence consisted in the fact that the plaintiff was hurt by a train which, if his attention had been wholly given to looking in one direction for it, he might have seen. It is not alleged that he failed to stop and look and listen; nor that hearing a signal whistle he failed to wait for the train to approach and pass the crossing. After.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John C. Davidson v. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company, lessee of the Jamestown & Franklin Railroad Company
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence — Contributory negligence — Province of court and jury. While the rule will not be relaxed which requires a traveler when approaching a railroad crossing to “ stop, look and listen,” nor the cases departed from which hold that one who goes in front of a moving train which he has ample opportunity to see and hear and avoid, may ordinarily be held guilty of contributory negligence as matter of law; yet when the facts are not clear and simple, and where the existence of contributory negligence depends upon inferences to be drawn■ from the evidence, the question must go to the jury for decision. Negligence — Railroads — Grade-crossing—-“Slop, look and listen”— Province of court and jury. In an action against a railroad company to recover damages for personal injuries suffered by the plaintiff by a collision of his wagon and a train of the defendant, the evidence tended to show that at the place of the accident defendant’s railroad was paralleled by another railroad about one hundred feet to the south. Plaintiff stopped, and while waiting and listening he heard a train whistle. He then waited for the train to come in sight so that he might know upon which of the lines of railroad it was approaching. He saw that it was on the other railroad than that of the defendant, and after waiting until it was out of the way he drove on defendant’s track, and was struck by a train coming from the opposite direction. This train approached the crossing without signal by whistle or bell, and would have passed over so much of the track as is visible from the crossing in a little less than thirty seconds. The day was dark and rainy, and the noise of the first train made it difficult to hear the second train. Held, that the question of plaintiff’s contributory negligence was for the jury.