Fitzpatrick v. Burgess & Town Council

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Fitzpatrick v. Burgess & Town Council, 184 Pa. 645 (Pa. 1898)
39 A. 545; 1898 Pa. LEXIS 953
Coeiam, Dean, Fell, Green, McCollum, Mitchell

Fitzpatrick v. Burgess & Town Council

Opinion of the Court

Pee Coeiam,

The evidence on this record fails entirely to disclose any negligence on the part of the borough, or any notice to the borough authorities of any danger in the condition of the sidewalk at the place of the accident. The ditch was dug by a plumber, to lay a water pipe to the adjoining, property. It was about thirty inches wide and three feet deep. It was filled up immediately when it was made, and the earth was rammed into the trench when it was filled. It was on a public street, and was in constant use for nearly two months before the accident. It was trodden upon every day by all pedestrians passing over it, and ’did not give the least sign of being defective in any manner. The softening of the clay was probably occasioned at some point below the surface by a heavy rain storm in the morning just before the accident. Nothing of this was visible on the surface, and no indication of any danger whatever was given. In these circumstances, showing a latent cause, and irrespective of our decision in borough of West Chester v. Apple, 35 Pa. 284, and kindred cases, there was no evidence of negligence attributable to the borough, and the learned court below committed no error in directing a verdict for the defendant.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Francis J. Fitzpatrick and Catharine A., his Wife v. The Burgess and Town Council of the Borough of Darby
Cited By
3 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Negligence—Boroughs—Dangerous sidewalk. In an action against a borough to recover damages for personal injuries, it appeared that plaintiff was injured by her foot sinking into soft clay in a sidewalk at a point where a ditch had been dug by a plumber. The ditch was about thirty inches wide and three feet deep. It had been tilled up immediately after it was made, and the earth had been rammed into the trench when it was tilled. For two months it had been trodden on every day by pedestrians, and did not give any signs of being defective. On the morning of the accident there had been a heavy rain storm which had probably softened the clay, but nothing of this was visible on the surface, and no indication of any danger whatever was given. Held, that there was no evidence of negligence attributable to the borough.