Bezares v. Caguas Tramway Co.
Bezares v. Caguas Tramway Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The respondent in this appeal is the Caguas Tramway Co. which is operating a railway between Río Piedras and Caguas for the transportation of passengers, freight and mail. The appellant was an employe of the respondent. On December 11, 1908, at about half past nine in the evening, an agent of the respondent went to his house and notified him that he was needed to work in clearing out a landslide on the track which was interrupting the traffic. In obedience to this order the appellant started for the company’s station, where by order of the superintendent, he got on a wagonette in which eight or nine men were to go with the superintendent, all leaving for the place where the work was to be done. The class of work to be done was the usual one, to which, whether day or night work, the appellant was accustomed; although it is true that
Besides the provisions with respect to liability of employers, the law clearly states that a servant assumes all the usual risks incident to his employment, and which are not due to the master’s negligence or carelessness. (26 Cyc., 1177.) The appellant alleges that he has a right to recover upon the strength of the provisions of an act in relation to the liability of employers (Eev. Stats., 1902, p. 150), according to which an employe, upon receiving a personal injury, may maintain action for damages against his employer: “1. By reason of ¿ny defect in the condition of the ways, works, or machinery, connected with or used in the business of the employer, which arose from or had not been discovered or remedied owing to the negligence of the employer, or of any person in the service of the employer and entrusted by him, with the duty of seeing that thq ways, works, or machinery, were in proper condition; or 2. By reason of the negligence of any person in the service of the employer, entrusted with the exercising of superintendence, whose sole or principal duty is that of superintendence. ’ ’
The appellant has omitted to tell us how the accident might .have been avoided, and confines himself to the statement that the road should have been lighted. We are - not ready to admit that only the light of day or a perfect system
If there was any negligence, it was only that of going out on the wagonette at night, but this was one of the risks the appellant was assuming, together with the superintendent. The fact is proven that the latter exercised due care, since he had assumed the same risk. Ordinary care is that kind of care a man of ordinary intelligence exercises in the management of his own affairs. There is nothing in the record showing that the accident which occurred to the appellant was due to the negligence of the respondent or of his agents, and the judgment should be affirmed.
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.