Smoker v. Baldwin Locomotive Works
Smoker v. Baldwin Locomotive Works
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
William Smoker sued to recover for personal injuries, alleged to be due to defendant’s negligence; the verdict favored plaintiff; judgment was entered accordingly, and defendant has appealed.
At trial in the court below, defendant presented no evidence, but asked for binding instructions, and, subsequently, for judgment n. o. v.; appellant assigns the refusal of these requests as error.
When the testimony is viewed in the light most favorable to plaintiff, as it must be on this appeal, there is ample evidence to sustain the following statement of facts contended for by appellee: On May 29, 1917, shortly after midnight, defendant’s heavy automobile truck, lighted only by two small oil lamps in front, was being operated eastwaydly on the eastbound car track of Spring Garden street, Philadelphia. Án eastbound street car came up behind the truck at a point thirty feet east of Thirty-first street, upon the Spring Garden street bridge over the Schuylkill river; in response to a signal from the motorman of this car, defendant’s chauffeur turned his truck to the left and entered upon the westbound track. At the point in question, there was sufficient space to accommodate the truck on the right, be
The questions of the alleged negligence of defendant’s chauffeur (who admittedly was acting within the scope of his employment at the time), first, in turning at all into the path of westbound cars when there was no necessity for that course, and, next, in traveling eastwardly for a distance of seventy feet through smoke and steam which concealed him from oncoming westbound cars, as also the alleged contributory negligence of plaintiff in not avoiding the collision, were submitted in a charge which is not complained of. On the evidence at bar, the
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Negligence — Automobiles—Street railway car — Head-on collision —Injury to motorman — Automobile passing over bridge — Gloud of smoke — Obstructed, view — Ghaufeur’s failure to stop — Contributory negligence — Case for jury. Where in an action by the motorman of a street car against the owner of a motor truck to recover for personal injuries sustained by plaintiff in a head-on collision with defendant’s truck, it appeared that the truck was being driven eastward on the eastbound car track which passed over a bridge across railroad tracks; that in order to permit a ear to pass it the truck driver turned to the left onto the westbound track although there was sufficient space between the eastbound track and the curb; that just as the eastbound car passed the truck a cloud of smoke was thrown over the tracks by a locomotive passing under the bridge; that the smoke completely concealed from the view of defendant’s chauffeur the approach of the westbound car on which plaintiff was motorman, but the truck continued along the westbound track for nearly seventy feet and just as it emerged from the smoke-cloud, collided with plaintiff’s car, after making a quick attempt to turn to the right when within ten feet of the car, the questions whether defendant’s chauffeur was negligent in turning into the westbound track and in traveling eastwardly with his view obstructed by smoke, and also whether plaintiff was negligent in not avoiding the collision, were for the jury and a recovery by the plaintiff was sustained.