Young v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.
Young v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On October 3, 1912, at about 7 o’clock in the evening, the plaintiff and his wife were injured while attempting to drive across the defendant’s tracks; they brought an action in trespass to recover damages, alleging that the car which caused their injury had been negligently operated at a high rate of speed without any warning of its approach. A nonsuit was entered on the ground of contributory negligence, which the court below subsequently took off as to the wife, but refused to remove in the case of the husband,#who has appealed.
When the evidence is viewed in the light most favoTable to the plaintiff, as it must be where the error assigned is the refusal to take off a nonsuit, the following state of facts could be found: In 1898 the plaintiff built
Although no one has a right carelessly to put himself in a position of danger relying entirely on the assumption that another who controls the sources of such danger will see to his protection, yet, the law recognizes the abstract right of every one who takes due care according to the circumstances in which he is placed to act upon the principle that others will do likewise; the extent of the application of this principle depends upon the facts in each case, and the question whether due care under the surrounding conditions and circumstances has or has not been taken, except in cases where all the material facts and the reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom clearly demonstrate contributory negligence, is always an issue for the jury to determine.
On the facts as we have stated them, and as they might have been found by the jury, it cannot be said as a matter of law that the plaintiff acted unduly upon the assumption that the defendant would take care not to injure him, or that he placed his fate in the hands of Mr. Snyder, depending exclusively on the latter’s care; no more can it be said as a matter of law that Mr. Snyder was careless in not observing the approaching car and notifying his neighbor in time to enable him to avoid the accident; or that the plaintiff himself was guilty of contributory negligence because he did not see the car in time, or because he drove out of . the stable instead of leading his horse over the tracks and then getting into the buggy; all these alleged acts of contributory negligence were issues of fact, as also was the question of the defendant’s negligence, and the learned trial court erred in not'submitting them to the jury under proper instructions.
The assignment of error is sustained, and the judgment is reversed with a procedendo.
Reference
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- Negligence — Street railways — Collision—Private driveway — Vehicle struck coming from driveway — Contributory negligence— Duty of person controlling source of danger — Reliance on use of due care — Case for jury. ■ ' 1. Although no one has a right carelessly to put himself in a position, of danger, relying entirely on the assumption that another who controls the sources of such danger will see to his protection, yet, the law recognizes the abstract right of everyone who takes due care according to the circumstances ip. which he is placed to act upon the principle that others will do likewise; the extent of the application of this principle, depends upon the facts in each case, and the question whether due care under the surrounding conditions and circumstances has or has not been taken, except in cases where all the material facts and reasonable inferences to be drawn therefrom clearly demonstrate contributory negligence, is always an issue for the jury to determine. 2. In an action against a street railway company to recover damages for personal injuries sustained in a collision where there was evidence that plaintiff, after harnessing his horse in a stable eight feet from defendant’s tracks, went to the highway, looked in the direction from which the cars came and seeing the tracks were clear returned, got in the buggy and drove out; that less than a minute elapsed from the time plaintiff took his last look and when he left the stable, and that as he. drove out a neighbor who was standing at the door told plaintiff that the track was clear, although his view and that of the plaintiff were partially obstructed by an electric pole, and that in driving across the tracks the buggy was struck by a car moving at a great speed and without warning, although lighted lamps were fastened to each side of the buggy and the motorman could have seen the horse at a distance of 500 feet from the stable, the question of plaintiff’s contributory negligence in failing to see the car in time or in failing to lead his horse over the tracks before he got in the buggy was for the jury and it was error for the court to enter a compulsory nonsuit.