Jones v. American Can Co.
Jones v. American Can Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opiñion by
George-S. Jones brought this action to recover damages for personal injuries alleged to be due to the negligence of the defendant company. The verdict favored the plaintiff, hence the evidence must be construed in the light most advantageous to him, and so viewed, the following material facts appear: The plaintiff, who was thirty-five years of age, had been employed by the defendant for about three months prior to August 10, 1910, the date of the accident; when hurt he was engaged in. removing tin plate from a box car to the defendant’s factory; the material was put upon trucks, each load weighing about 3,000 pounds; these trucks were hauled by hand, one man pulling and the other pushing, over steel plates which formed a temporary bridge from the car to the factory; in this instance the distance spanned was between twenty-six and thirty inches and the plates used were about fifty-two inches long and three-eighths of an inch thick; the railroad track or siding was on a curve, the far side of the car being lower than the side near the factory door, and following a usual custom boards or strips of wood were placed on the car floor as an approach to the steel plates; the car was so located that in taking out the truck it was necessary to enter upon the steel span at an angle; the truck provided for the purpose was about two and one-half feet in length and twenty-eight inches wide, it had three wheels, one in front and two in about the center, and it was pulled by a tongue or handle between eighteen and twenty-four inches long; previous to the accident the steel span which has been located at the
No complaint is made of the manner in which the case was submitted to the jury; but the defendant contends that it was entitled to binding instructions and that the court erred in not giving judgment non obstante veredicto in its favor. On the facts as we have stated them, and as we must assume from the verdict the jury found them to be, it is apparent that the trial court did all it could to guard the interests of the defendant when it properly submitted the issues to the jury; after considering the able argument of counsel for the defendant and all the authorities cited, we are not convinced of error.
The judgment is affirmed,
Reference
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- Negligence — Master and servant — Safe place to work — Temporary bridge — Notice of increased danger — Case for jury. In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, it appeared that plaintiff had been employed by defendant in moving tin plate from a box car to defendant’s factory by hauling it on trucks over a steel plate forming a temporary bridge from the car« to the factory; that the plate was provided with bolts to prevent it from slipping, and plaintiff had never hauled any trucks over plates not equipped with this device; that just prior to the time when plaintiff was hurt the plate had been moved away at the direction of defendant’s vice-principal and two plates not provided with bolts were substituted therefor; that in dragging the truck over the plates, they parted and plaintiff fell between them, sustaining the injuries complained of. It appeared that plaintiff had no knowledge that the new plates differed from the old one, and it could not be Said as a matter of law that he had had a fair opportunity to observe the material difference between the old and substituted plates. There was no evidence that he had moved the truck in an unusual or careless manner. Held,' the case was for the jury and a verdict and judgment for plaintiff was sustained.