Estate of Taylor
Estate of Taylor
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This appeal from the orphans’ court brings up the same question that was considered and decided on an appeal from the court of common pleas of Washington county by the same appellants and reported in 165 Pa. 339. We there held that the eighteenth section of the act of April 15,1851, P. L. 674, was neither repealed nor modified by the act of April 26, 1855, P. L. 309; and that an action instituted to recover damages for personal injuries caused by negligence on the part of the defendant survived the injured party, and could be prosecuted to final judg
The assignments of error are overruled, and the judgment or decree appealed from is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Estate of Mary V. Taylor, Appeal of T. F. Birch, and J. W. Rowland, Guardians of the minor children of Mary V. Taylor
- Cited By
- 16 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence — Death—Right of action — Acts of April 15,1851 and April 26, 1855. The eighteenth section of the act of April 15, 1851, P. L. 674, was neither repealed nor modified by the act of April 26, 1855, P. L. 309, and an action instituted to recover damages for personal injuries caused by negligence on the part of the defendant survives the injured party, and can be prosecuted to final judgment and satisfaction by the personal representative of the deceased plaintiff. The right of action for the death of a person injured by negligence or violence of another, given by the nineteenth section of the act of April 15, 1851, is conditioned upon two concurrent facts, (1) that the injured party’s death was occasioned by violence or negligence, and (2) that no suit had been brought by the party injured to recover damages in his lifetime: Birch v. Pittsburgh, C., O. & St. L. R. R., 165 Pa. 339. followed. Negligence — Death—Right of action — Guardian and ward. A widow having children brought an action against a railroad company to recover damages for personal injuries. Pending the action she died, and her administrators were substituted as plaintiffs. Before the case was reached for trial the railroad company made an offer to compromise, which was accepted by the administrators with the assent of all parties interested. Prior to the decision of Birch’s Appeal, 165 Pa. 339, the guardians of the deceased’s children had brought an action against the railroad company on behalf of their wards, claiming the right to recover, notwithstanding the other action. The railroad company insisted on the disposition of both actions, and the guardians accordingly joined the administrators in releasing the company from all further liability. They did not receive anything in consideration of their release, and no attempt was made to compromise with them. Held, that the guardians had no right to any portion of the fund paid by the railroad company to the administrators until the deceased’s debts were paid, and the administrators had made final settlement of the estate.