Phillips v. Erie County Electric Co.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Phillips v. Erie County Electric Co., 249 Pa. 445 (Pa. 1915)
94 A. 1070; 1915 Pa. LEXIS 741
Elkin, Frazer, Mestkezat, Moschzisker, Stewart

Phillips v. Erie County Electric Co.

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam,

• The amendment to the statement did not substitute a new party or change the cause of action, and was properly allowed: Trego v. Lewis, 58 Pa. 463; Rick v. N. Y., Chicago & St. L. R. R. Co., 232 Pa. 553; Levin v. Clad & Sons, 244 Pa. 194. The action was brought to recover' damages for the death of plaintiff’s husband caused by the negligence of the defendant in the construction and maintenance of a system of electric wires in Sassafras street between 21st and 23d streets in the City of Erie. The statement laid the place of the accident at 21st and Sassafras street which, by the amendment, was changed to 22d and Sassafras street where the accident occurred.

It will be observed that the negligent act, the cause of action, was committed during the construction and maintenance of the system of wires on Sassafras street between 21st and 23d street which included the point where the accident occurred, whether at 21st or 22d street. The accident resulted in death for which damages are claimed. As pertinently suggested by counsel, the victim of the defendant’s tort could die but once, at one time and at but one place, and necessarily there could be but one action by the widow for his death regardless of the point or place between 21st and 23d streets where the tort, laid in the statement, was committed. It is equally true that the amendment did not change the measure of damages nor the evidence required to prove the cause of action set forth in the statement.

*456. The recent case of Hippie v. Edison Elec. 111. Co. of Pottsville, 240 Pa. 91, is controlling as to the merits of the case. The question of contributory negligence was not for the court but for the jury and was properly submitted in a charge to which no error is assigned.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
Phillips v. Erie County Electric Company
Cited By
9 cases
Status
Published
Syllabus
Negligence—Amendment to statement — Electricity — Uninsulated wire—Contributory negligence. 1. In an action to recover damages for death of plaintiff’s husband caused by the negligence of the defendant electric company' in the construction and maintenance of a system of electric wires on Sassafras street between. 21st and 23d streets in the City of Erie, the statement laid the place of the accident at 21st and Sassafras streets. An amendment to the statement of claim was allowed after the running of the statute of limitations by which 22d and Sassafras streets was made the place where the accident occurred. Held, that the amendment did not substitute a new party or change the cause of action and was properly allowed. 2. In an action to recover damages for the death of plaintiff’s husband, it appeared that deceased was a lineman of a telephone company and that while ascending a telephone pole he came in contact with an uninsulated wire, whereby he reeived a shock and fell to the ground and was killed. There was evidence of negligence on the part of the defendant company in not having the wire properly insulated or constructed. Held, that the question of negligence on the part of the defendant company and the contributory negligence on the part of deceased were properly submitted to the jury and a verdict for the plaintiff was sustained.