Maguire v. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co.
Maguire v. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff’s husband was one of four employees of the defendant company to whom had been assigned the task of removing-certain outworn and discarded timbers or props from the bottom of the mine slope where they had been brought in cars, to a landing place provided at the top or mouth of the slope, and there unloading them. Because of the length of the-timbers the car in which they were carried to the mouth of the slope had to be specially provided with a platform on which the timbers
The act of assembly on which plaintiff relied to establish negligence on the part of defendant, is entitled, “An act to provide for the health and safety of persons employed in and about the anthracite coal mines of Pennsylvania, and for the protection and preservation of property connected therewith.” By Article XII the act prescribed certain rules to be observed in every mine to which the act applies. Bule 16, prescribes as follows, “No person shall ride upon or against any loaded car, cage or gun boat in any shaft, slope or plane in or about a mine or colliery.” Section 4, of Article XVII, of the act declares that all offenses under this act are declared to be misdemeanors, and Section 8 provides, “that for any injury to person or property occasioned by any violation of this act, or any failure to comply with its provisions by any owner, operator, superintendent, mine foreman or fire boss of any coal mine or colliery, a right of action shall accrue to the party injured against said owner or operator for any direct damages he may have sustained thereby; and in case of loss of life by reason of such neglect or failure aforesaid a right of action shall accrue to the widow and lineal heirs of the person whose life shall be lost, for like recovery of damages for the injuries they shall have sustained.” That the car in which the deceased was riding was a loaded car or boat within the meaning of the act was a fact found by the jury; no other car or boat had been provided; it was only by using this car that the workmen could reach the point where the timbers were to be unloaded, and it had been so used with the knowledge and approval of the defendant for months. It would be idle to contend that dis
The case admits of no discussion. It is impossible to see how the particular negligence of the defendant contributed in even a remote way to the accident. The injury to plaintiff’s husband resulted directly and immediately in consequence of his jumping from the car on which he had been riding. The jury must have found that a reasonable apprehension of injury if he remained on the car warranted him in so doing, since they acquitted him of contributory negligence. What difference could it have made in the result had the car from which he jumped been an unloaded or empty car? There is not a circumstance in the case that would warrant an inference that the result would have been any different. So far as can be seen the fact that the car in which the' deceased was riding was loaded, stands wholly unrelated to the injuries sustained. There is nothing to indicate that the apprehension of danger that caused plaintiff’s husband to jump from the car arose from the fact that the car was loaded; nor is there anything to indicate that it was carried beyond the landing because it was loaded. Had it been empty, that circumstance of itself would not have made the danger any the less. Clearly the only negligence shown in the case to which the accident can be referred was that of the engineer, who, to his credit be it said, did not seek to avoid his culpability, but frankly admitted it. The learned trial judge would have been justified in giving binding instructions for the defendant, and therefore no error was committed in entering judgment non obstante. The assignment of error is overruled, and judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Maguire v. Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company
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- Negligence — Mines and mining — Anthracite Goal Mine Act of June 2,1891, P. L. 176, Article XII, Bule 16; Article XVII, Section If. A workman was riding on a loaded car from the bottom of a mine to the surface; no other means of exit had been provided. Through the negligence of the engineer of the hoisting engine, the relief valve of the engine was not open, and the ear was carried beyond the landing. The workman, fearing that he would be thrown back down the slope, jumped from the car and was killed. In an action by his wife to recover for his death, plaintiff contended that the proximate cause of the accident was the negligence of defendant in failing to observe Rule 16, of Article XII, of the Anthracite Coal Mine Act, providing that no person shall ride upon or against any loaded car, cage or gunboat in any shaft, slope or plane in and about a mine or a colliery and that “for any injury to person or property occasioned by any violation of the act, or any failure to comply with its provisions......a right of action shall accrue to the party injured......and in case of loss of life......to the widow and lineal heirs of the person whose life shall be lost.” Defendant contended that although there was a violation of the said statute such violation did not contribute to the death of plaintiff’s husband, as the accident would have occurred just the same had the ear been empty and that the death resulted solely from the negligence of the engineer who was a fellow servant of the decedent. The trial judge submitted the case to the jury, which found a verdict for plaintiff. Heldj the court properly entered judgment for the defendant .non obstante veredicto.