Harner v. F. H. White Co.
Harner v. F. H. White Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Appellant contends that a verdict in its favor should
But it is also argued that appellee should have been declared guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law, and the Devine case is relied on as conclusive authority on this question. We can not so regard that case. What has already been said in discussing the negligence of defendant company applies generally to the question of contributory negligence. In the Devine case the injured employee had no duty to perform which required her to crawl under the table and over the foot rest, while in the present case appellee was acting within the scope of her employment when she stooped to pick up the strap which had fallen, It was clearly her duty to pick up the strap and she had a right to rely on the assumption that her employer had provided a safe place to work and that the machinery was properly guarded as the law requires. No doubt she acted quickly and finding a clear open space under the table thought it safe to reach for the strap. It is not the case of getting down and crawling over an obstruction seven inches.wide, which acted as a guard to the machinery back of it, and thus deliberately going into a place of open danger. Then, again, in the present case there is some doubt as to whether the light was sufficient to expose the dangers under the table. For these and other reasons not necessary to discuss in detail we have concluded that the present case was for the jury. We find no reversible error in this record.
Judgment affirmed.
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- Negligence — Master and servant — Unguarded machinery — Act of May 2, 1905, P. L. 852, Section 11 — Contributory negligence— Case for jury. In an action against a manufacturing company to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff, due to the alleged negligence of the defendant in failing to properly guard its machinery as required by the Act of May 2, 1905, P. L. 352, Section. 11, the case is for the jury and a verdict for the plaintiff will be sustained where it appears that at the time of the accident plaintiff was employed by the defendant and was engaged in Working at a sewing machine, which was placed upon a table and operated by power transmitted from a shaft .thereunder; that a strap which she was using fell to the floor and as she stooped under the table to pick it up her hair became entangled in the shaft, resulting in the injuries complained of; that there was a clear open space under the table and no guard of any kind over the machinery ; that there was some doubt as to the sufficiency of the -light to expose the danger under the table, and there was evidence that the plaintiff, who had been employed by the defendant for but three days, did not know of the existence of the danger. Devine v. Simons, 235 Pa. 336, distinguished.