Crimmins v. Farquhar
Crimmins v. Farquhar
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff, James Crimmins, sued in trespass to recover for the loss of an eye, which he alleged was due to the negligence of the defendant; the evidence was in conflict, and the case was submitted to. the jury, who rendered a verdict for the defendant; - the plaintiff has appealed.
There was other evidence produced by the plaintiff, which, owing to the view we take, it is unnecessary to consider. The testimony relied upon to meet the case as we have just stated it, was given by the defendant’s
The conflicting testimony was presented to the jury, and they evidently believed the defendant’s version; but, even accepting the plaintiff’s testimony as true, this is not a case where an employee was injured while resting upon the assurance of his employer that he would see to his safety, or where, relying on the word of a superior, he assumed a state of facts to be true which did not actually exist; nor is it a case where, after the employee suggested the danger, his superior said or did anything which led him to believe that his fears were not well founded, so that he took and acted upon the latter’s judgment; no more is it a case where the servant received and obeyed positive and imperative orders to proceed with his work notwithstanding apparent dangers, or where he was suddenly called upon to execute an order that required extreme haste. On the contrary, the appellant’s own testimony shows that, after he had called the foreman’s attention to the conditions which subsequently led to his injury, and the latter had agreed with him concerning the apparent danger, stating he would have the cause of it removed, he, the plaintiff, knowing full well that, despite this statement of the foreman, the latter had done nothing whatever to stop the danger, and that it still threatened, stayed at his work. In other words, the plaintiff, knowing and appreciating the hazard of the situation, remained where he was, took his chances, and was injured; under these circumstances, he had no right to recover against the defendant.
The charge to the jury is open to deserved criticism from many standpoints; but, despite this, no harm was done the appellant, for, as we have indicated, the trial
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Negligence — Master and servant — Assumption of rislc. In an action by an employee against his employer for damages for personal injuries suffered while working in the latter’s stéel foundry, where it appeared by plaintiff’s testimony that the aeeident occurred while plaintiff was engaged at the direction of defendant’s foreman in attempting to stop with wet clay a leak in a vessel containing molten metal; that while so engaged plaintiff observed another man throwing mud at the leak from the other side and complained of the danger therefrom to the foreman who “said he would have it stopped,” but did not leave or say anything to anybody about it; that thereafter plaintiff continued applying the clay, although more mud was thrown, and that finallly a lump so thrown caused the hot metal to splutter, whereby a spark destroyed plaintiff’s eye, plaintiff must be held to have assumed the risk of continuing at his work and could not recover for the injury sustained.