Schaefer v. Consolidated Ice Co.
Schaefer v. Consolidated Ice Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s husband, an employee of the defendant company, met his death by being caught in a large revolving fly wheel which was being operated in the room in which he was at the time engaged. Attributing her loss to the defendant’s negligence she brought this action for the recovery of damages. The verdict of the jury establishes these facts in connection with the accident; the fly wheel, the instrument of death, was without such guard as is required by the Act of Assembly; at the time of the accident Schaefer was acting within the scope of his employment; that no negligence on his part contributed to the accident. Now, unless it can be said that there was no evidence warranting a submission of these questions to the jury, there would be no warrant for disturbing the judgment in the case. As to the first, the effort of the defendant was to show that an artificial guard was not required for the protection of the employees. This question was left to the jury under instructions not complained of. As to the second, it was shown that the accident occurred while Schaefer was engaged in the effort to place a block of ice upon the journal supporting the shaft of the fly wheel in order to keep it from heating. It was testified that this method of cooling the journal was not unusual but frequently resorted to; that Schaefer had lifted the ice from the floor to the top of the pillar block in which the shaft lay, and while resting it there before attempting to put it in position, he suddenly fell to the floor and was caught
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Schaefer v. Consolidated Ice Company
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- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- Negligence — Master and servant — Guarding machinery — Flywheel — Contributory negligence — Act of May 2, 1905, P. L. 852— Case for jury. 1. In an action against an employer to recover damages for the death of plaintiff’s husband by reason of his being caught in a revolving fly-wheel in defendant’s ice plant the case is for the jury and a verdict for the plaintiff will he sustained where the evidence, though in conflict, justifies a finding that the wheel in which the deceased was injured was not properly guarded; that he was at the time of the accident in the course of his employment; and it does not appear that he was guilty of contributory negligence. 2. In such a case it is for the jury to determine whether or not an artificial guard for the fly-wheel was required under the provisions of the Act of May 2, 1905, P. L. 352, for the protection of employees.