Texas N. O. R. Co. v. Jones
Texas N. O. R. Co. v. Jones
Opinion of the Court
A. J. Jones, appellee, sued the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company and the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company for damage, occasioned by injuries received by his wife while a passenger on the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company’s train, October 24, 1914. It is alleged substantially on that date appellee’s wife and four children embarked on the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company’s passenger train at Jacksonville, Tex., on their way to Dallas, Tex., and after arriving there and after the train had gotten on the track of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company, in order to reach the Union Station, where Mrs. Jones was to alight, the train was uncoupled at a street crossing, which is alleged to have been Elm street, and the front end of the train moved across and pulled north towards the Union Station, and leaving Mrs. Jones and children in the coach just south of the street crossing, at which place passengers usually alighted, and, while she was alighting and while on the platform of steps of the coach, the front part of the train, to which was attached the locomotive, suddenly backed against the coach with great force and with unusual violence, and that the jar or jerk knocked Mrs. Jones down against the floor. It is alleged that these acts were negligent and which negligence it is alleged was the proximate cause of her injury. It is further alleged that, if appellee was mistaken as to the engine moving back and the cars being the property of the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company, then it was alleged that it belonged to the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company. It is alleged: That Mrs. Jones was hurt internally, the nature of which could not be given further than that she became deathly sick, began flooding and miscarried, and her nervous system was greatly shocked and permanently impaired by reason of the injury and miscarriage. Her health was greatly impaired and destroyed, until she is now an invalid, and that her injuries are permanent. That then and since she has suffered violent and excruciating pains and will continue to do so. It was also alleged that each of the appellants were corporations and common carriers, incorporated under the laws of the state of Texas, and each was a common carrier for hire; that the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company owns and operates and maintains a line of railway from the town of Jacksonville, Tex., to the city of Dallas, where it connects with the line of its eodefendant, the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company, which last company owns a line from Dallas north into and through Dallas and into and through Collin county; that the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company used the tracks of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company in the city of Dallas, in reaching the union depot, which is the place where each received and discharged passengers, but the exact understanding and agreement existing between the two roads it is alleged was not known to appellee, but that it was not specially authorized by the legislative authority of Texas; that by reason thereof the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company is liable for the torts and negligent acts of the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company, as above stated. They were each notified in the petition to produce such agreement or contract, or secondary evidence would be offered on the trial by plaintiff.
The jury found upon special issues that the train upon which Mrs. Jones was riding gave a violent and unusual jar, bump, or jerk, occasioned by reason of the movement of the front part of the train while she was attempting to alight therefrom; that such violent and unusual jerk or jar was negligence on the part of the defendant the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company, and such negligence was the proximate cause of the injury to Mrs. Jones; that by reason of such injury appellee was damaged $2,000. The jury also found that the miscarriage of Mrs. Jones was not the probable and natural sequence of her general condition, and caused *1086 solely by such condition, or by her acts or habits prior to the time of her arrival at Dallas, when and where the injury was alleged to have occurred. The jury also found there was a contract or agreement between the two railroads, whereby the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company was permitted to and did use the tracks of the Houston & Texas Central Railway Company from the Texas & New Orleans Junction in South Dallas to the depot of the Houston & Texas Central Railroad Company at Dallas at the time of the alleged injury. The jury also found the car upon which Mrs. Jones was riding gave a violent and unusual jar, bump, or jerk, while she was attempting to alight, which was caused by the movement and operation of the train of cars, and that such movement was negligence on the part of the Texas & New Orleans Railway Company. This last finding was in answer to special issues requested by appellee in addition to those which had theretofore been answered, submitted by the court.
“The law is well settled that when an injury results from the negligence or unlawful operation of a railway, whether by the corporation to which the franchise is granted or by another corporation which the proprietary company authorized or permits to use its tracks, both the lessor and the lessee are liable to respond in damages to the party injured.” Railway Co. v. Horne, 197 Ill. 250, 64 N. E. 331.
Our courts hold the same, as we understand the decisions. Railway Co. v. Culberson, 72 Tex. 375, 10 S. W. 706, 3 L. R. A. 567, 13 Am. St. Rep. 805; Railway Co. v. Owens, 75 S. W. 579; Railway Co. v. McGrath, 160 S. W. 444; Railway Co. v. Mentzer, 214 Fcd. 10, 130 C. C. A. 404; Quigley v. Toledo Ry. Co., etc., Ann. Cas. 1915D, 992, notes.
The third assignment asserts that the un-contradicted proof shows that the injury complained of was the result of natural causes, and not the result of any injury Mrs. Jones received by falling on the steps. It will be noted the assignment is itself contradictory in a sense. Miscarriage was alleged as a result of the injury, or Bather a concurring injury with others. The assignment assumes there was an injury by the *1087 fall. Th'e petition alleges internal injuries were received, the nature of which was not known, producing a nervous shock which permanently impaired the health of Mrs. Jones. It will Be noted, also, the jury found that the fall was the proximate cause of her “injury.” In answer to another issue which had been requested by the appellants, the jury found that the miscarriage was not occasioned by natural causes or from her previous condition and habits of life. The appellants appear to rely upon the cross-examination of the doctors to sustain their assignment. The examination of the doctors was largely based upon hypothetical questions founded upon evidence assumed by appellants to be true. Many of the facts and circumstances constituting the hypothesis were in dispute. The appellee framed a question upon facts which he asserted were true and obtained from the doctors answers favorable to his allegation; that is, that the injury caused the mishap. The testimony upon which these several hypotheses were based, and the truth thereof, were for the jury.
The case made by this record is different from the record as made on former appeal and passed on by this court in 187 S. W. 717, in that the daughter and husband, who were present at the time of the injury, testified on the latter trial, and the testimony is different in several other particulars, not necessary, as we view the case, to point out.
The case will be affirmed.
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Reference
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- TEXAS & N. O. R. CO. Et Al. v. JONES
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