Martin v. Southern Pennsylvania Traction Co.
Martin v. Southern Pennsylvania Traction Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On the evening of 14th January, 1915, the plaintiff’s husband, accompanied by herself, was walking to his home from Darby, using the sidewalk along the highway upon which the defendant’s line of electric railway is operated. In attempting to cross over the highway, upon a crossing in common use, he was struck by an approaching car on defendant’s line, and so seriously injured that within a short period thereafter he died in consequence. The action was'by the widow to recover damages from the traction company, and the negligence charged consisted “in running the car at a high and unlawful rate of speed, failing to give proper signals of warning of the approach, and in failing to have the car under such control that it could be brought to a stop within a reasonable distance.” The case was submitted to the jury and a verdict for plaintiff returned in the sum of $8,500. A motion for a new trial and for judgment non obstante followed. The court directed that a remittitur be filed as to all of the verdict in excess of $5,500, otherwise making absolute the motion for a new trial. The remittitur was filed, and defendant then appealed. The specifications of error are confined to the refusal by the court of defendant’s second point which asked for binding instructions, and the refusal of its motion for judgment non obstante. Together these raise but a single question: does the evidence sub
The assignments are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Martin v. Southern Pennsylvania Traction Company
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- Syllabus
- Negligence — Street railway companies — Contributory negligence —Conflicting statements — Case for fury. 1. In an action for personal injuries, tbe plaintiff is not required to disprove contributory negligence, but only to make out a case clear of it. 2. In an action for tbe death of plaintiff’s husband where from one part of plaintiff’s testimony it appeared that deceased was guilty of contributory negligence, but from another part it appeared that he was not, and there were no other witnesses of the accident, the case was for the jury. 3. Where in an action against a street railway company to recover damages for the death of plaintiff’s husband who was killed by a trolley car while endeavoring to cross the highway at a crossing, plaintiff testifies that the accident occurred in the evening after dark; that she saw her husband as he approached the track; that he looked up and down the track and that she did the same, but neither could see a car approach; that both listened and heard nothing to warn anyone; that she was following her husband; and that when he had advanced over the nearest track, he was struck by a car running at great speed, the ease was for the jury and the fact that plaintiff also testified that she was within two feet of the car and her husband immediately in advance of her when he attempted to cross the track did not warrant the court in disposing of the case as a matter of law.