Lapinco v. Philadelphia & Reading Railway Co.
Lapinco v. Philadelphia & Reading Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff was struck by an engine of the defendant on November 29,1913,' about five o’clock in the afternoon, at what the jury found was a permissible crossing in the City of Coatesville. For the injuries sustained he recovered a verdict, the jury having found that the defendant had negligently operated its engine at the point where he was hurt, and that he had exercised" due care in attempting to cross the track. On this appeal from the judgment on the verdict the contention of the appellant is that its motion for a nonsuit ought to have prevailed, or a verdict should have been directed in its favor, as no negligence on its part had been shown, and the contributory negligence of the plaintiff was SO' clear that the trial judge should have declared 'it to be a bar to his right to recover.
Alongside the track on which the plaintiff was struck there are two sidings. After crossing over the first he stepped on the second and looked up and down the main track. It was dark, but lights were burning, and the plaintiff testified he could see a distance of one hundred and sixty feet in the direction from which the engine was coming. "-He stated distinctly that there was nothing to obstruct his view down the track for that distance. According to the testimony of witnesses called by the defendant the distance of the. unobstructed view, from actual measurements on the ground, was much greater. With the unobstructed view of at least one hundred and sixty feet before him, the plaintiff started toward the third or main track, and the instant he put his foot on the first rail the engine ran over it. He testified that from the time he started from the siding or second track he kept on looking and listening, but neither heard nor saw the approaching engine. On the testimony which he submitted as to its speed.and the failure to give notice of its approach, by bell or .whistle, it may be conceded that the question of the defendant’s negligence was for the jury, but, as the plaintiff was bound not only to listen
Under Carroll v. Penna. R. R. Co., 12 W. N. C. 348, and the long line of cases following it down to Stoker v. Philadelphia & Reading Ry. Co., 254 Pa. 494, it was the clear duty of the court below to enter judgment for the defendant non obstante veredicto.
The fourth assignment of error is sustained and judgment is here entered for the defendant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Jachim Lapinco v. Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Syllabus
- Negligence — Railroad companies — Headlight—Grossings — Gontributory negligence — Judgment for defendant n. o. v. • 1. In an action against a railroad company for injuries sustained by plaintiff in consequence of being struck by a locomotive, where it .appeared that tbe accident occurred at night, and plaintiff testified that when he came to the track he had an unobstructed view in the direction from which the train came for 160 feet and saw no engine, but did not say that he saw no headlight; but plaintiff’s two other witnesses who saw the accident did not say that the headlight was not burning, and where there was unimpeached evidence submitted by the defendant that the engine was equipped with a proper light, the presumption that defendant was not negligent in failing to equip its engine ■with a proper light was not refuted, and the trial judge should have directed the jury to find that the headlight was burning. 2: Where in such case it appeared that plaintiff stopped, looked and listened at the track next to the one on which the train which struck him .approached, and where plaintiff testified that he did not see the engine, .although he had an unobstructed view for 160 feet, and it appeared that immediately thereafter plaintiff started toward the third track and the instant he put his foot on the rail the engine ran over him, the rule in Carroll v. Penna. R. R. Co., 12 W. N. C.- 348, that it is vain for a man to say that he looked and listened if despite of what his eyes and ears must have told him, he walked directly in front of a locomotive, applied, and the jury having found a verdict for plaintiff the court should have entered judgment for defendant n. o. v.