Biddle v. Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad
Biddle v. Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Plaintiff brought this suit to recover damages for the death of hér husband.
The main line of defendant’s railway extends from Philadelphia to Washington, passing through the City of Chester in an easterly and westerly direction, and having there a passenger station known as Lamokin station. There is at that place four main tracks, on the south side of which is the station. To the north of the tracks and opposite the station is a shelter for the convenience of passengers. Between the north track, which we will call west hound, and this shelter there is a platform extending some distance along the track and about 23 feet wide; the part thereof adjoining the track being-of gravel and that adjoining the shelter of plank; and used as a station platform. A short distance east of the station is an overhead crossing known as Pennell Bridge,
The court below granted a compulsory nonsuit, on the ground of contributory negligence.
The deplorable accident seems to have been the result of a mistake on part of Mr. Biddle. He knew the through train kept on the main track, assumed this was
In any event, he was not a passenger nor intending to become such, nor was he at the station to assist a passenger on or off the train, or for any business connected with the railroad. His errand was a personal matter of his own. And, as he was not hurt at a public or permissive crossing, or so far as appears even on the station platform, or by any wanton or wilful act of the defendant, the accident creates no legal liability: Gillis v. Penna. R. R. Co., 59 Pa. 129; Balto. & Ohio R. R. Co. v. Schwindling, 101 Pa. 258; Brague v. Northern Cent. Ry. Co., 192 Pa. 242; Ambler v. Philadelphia & Reading Ry. Co., 39 Pa. Superior Ct. 198.
The assignment of error is overruled and the judgment is affirmed,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Biddle v. Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad Co.
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- 3 cases
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- Syllabus
- Negligence — Railroad companies — Person walking on tracks— Licensees — Station platform — Contributory negligence — Nonsuit. 1. A person walking on one of two or more railroad tracks knowing that a train is coming is chargeable with negligence if he fails to ascertain upon which track the train is, and the fact that he is on a side track will not relieve him of that duty. 2. Where in an action by a widow to recover damages for the death of her husband plaintiffs testimony disclosed only that deceased was last seen walking in broad daylight along defendant railroad company’s platform beside its four track railroad at a point where a side track crossed the platform, that a train, of the approach of which deceased had notice, coming from his rear, turned into the siding, giving a whistle blast as it did so, and that subsequently deceased’s mangled body was found along the siding about 25 feet from the platform, and there was no further evidence as to how the accident occurred, a nonsuit was properly entered.