Manzi v. Washburn Wire Co.
Manzi v. Washburn Wire Co.
Opinion of the Court
This case is before the court on exceptions to “the decision of the Superior Court sustaining the defendant’s •demurrer to the declaration, said decision holding in substance "that the plaintiff, though without experience in operating the .machine in question, must be held to understand the danger .arising from being precipitated against a belt in motion; and “the possibility that a stick of wood in his hands upon which he is exerting muscular pressure may break under that pressure .and that such risks are obvious, and therefore assumed by the plaintiff.
In the first count the plaintiff charges as the violated duty *462 the duty of warning the plaintiff of the danger to his person •of the work, and instructing him in the manner in which the work should be performed with safety to himself.
In the second count the plaintiff charges as the violated duty the duty of supplying a reasonably safe appliance for the plaintiff to do the work required of him in shifting the belt from the loose to the fixed pulley.
In the third count the plaintiff charges as the violated duty the duty of providing some reasonably safe, proper, and adequate protection from contact with the person or clothing of said plaintiff of said belt, pulleys, and shafting in the event of said plaintiff, being precipitated thereon by the breaking of the appliance provided for the purpose of shifting the belt.
The causes specified in the demurrer to each count were (1) that it did not appear that the defendant had been guilty of negligence; (2) that it appealed that plaintiff's injuries were caused by an obvious risk of his employment accepted by him; (3) that it did not appear that defendant knew or had reason to know that the implement used by the plaintiff was not of sufficient strength for the purpose for which it was employed; and (4) that the condition of the implement used by the plaintiff was as apparent to the plaintiff as to the defendant.
We are of the opinion that the allegations of the declaration, if sustained by adequate proof, would make out a proper case to go to the jury on the questions of negligence of the defendant and of assumed risk and contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff.
We do not think that, on the averments of the declaration, it can be said, as a matter of law, that the plaintiff, who was employed, May 1,1907, to head up nail-kegs, when set to work, on June 12, 1907, the day on which he was injured, to supervise the operation of the machine and the stopping and starting thereof, without previous training, skill, or experience in such work, and ignorant of the operation of machinery by a system of belts, pulleys, and shafting, and without being warned of the danger to his person of such work or being instructed as to the manner of doing the work with safety to himself, can be said to have assumed the risk of such operation of said machine. *463 Neither do we think he can be said, as matter of law, to have assumed the risk of the breaking of a stave of a nail-keg used in shifting the belt on said machine, not having been instructed and having no previous knowledge of the danger attendant upon the operation of shifting a belt upon such a machine with such an appliance.
The plaintiff’s exception to the decision of the Superior ■ Court sustaining the defendant’s demurrer is sustained, and the case is remitted to the Superior Court with direction to overrule said demurrer, and for further proceedings.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Raffaele Manzi v. Washburn Wire Company.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published