Eastern Texas Electric Co. v. Reagan
Eastern Texas Electric Co. v. Reagan
Opinion of the Court
*367 Appellee’s cause of action is based on the following facts: On the evening of the 10th of December, 1919, he went from Beaumont to Nederland as a passenger on one of defendant’s interurban cars, operating between Beaumont and Port Arthur. Nederland is 10 or 12 miles from Beaumont. His purpose was to call on a young lady living a short distance from Nederland. He was driven out to her home by a jitney driver, with whom he left directions to call-for him in time for the last Beaumont car, which passed through Nederland about 12:30 a. m. The driver called for him, but before getting him to the station the car broke down, and appellee walked a few blocks to the station. Under the facts, appellant was guilty of negligence in not stopping its car for appel-lee. He then walked from Nederland to Beaumont, without making any effort to secure lodging at Nederland. This was( a small town, but contained a hotel, which was usually crowded, and was crowded that night. Because of the bad condition of the dirt road, he could not have reached Beaumont that way. Appellee testified:
“I was working in Beaumont at that time, and didn’t want to miss work, or be late for work the next morning, so I set out to walk to Beaumont. It was about 10 miles from Nederland to Beaumont, and at times it was very dark as I walked along the interurban track, and it was cold and disagreeable. I walked along the best I could. I got chilled and took cold while walking, and fell and wrenched my ankle and sprained same. I had Dr. P. S. Martin to dress same early the next morning. I have not recovered yet from the cold I caught. It still affects my lungs, and I have never regained the strength I had prior to that night. I weigh a good deal less than I weighed prior to that time. The house where my girl lived was a three-room house and there were six people living there.”
Appellee cites the following authorities as sustaining his position: Nevill v. Railway Co., 211 S. W. 523; Railway Co. v. Foster, 46 Tex. Civ. App. 517, 103 S. W. 194; Fenlon v. Railway Co., 99 Wash. 289, 169 Pac. 863; Railway Co. v. Pruett, 200 Ala. 675, 77 South. 49; Railway Co. v. Gentry, 197 S. W. 482; Railway Co. v. Thorn, 197 S. W. 778. As we construe these authorities, they sustain the proposition of law we have just announced. In the Nevill Case the court held that he raised an issue in his favor against contributory negligence by making two efforts to secure lodging before taking the walk. Appellee was under no pressing necessity to reach Beaumont that night. By taking an early morning ear from- Neder-land, so far as this record shows, he could have reached Beaumont in time for his work. •
Appellant insists that it is not liable for anything except nominal damages, and suggests §15 as a proper recovery. We agree with appellant on this statement of the law, but suggest §25. If appellee will file a re-mittitur within 15 days' from the date of this judgment, reducing his recovery to §25, the case will be affirmed. Otherwise, it will be reversed and remanded, to be tried under the principles announced in Railway Co. v. Addison, 100 Tex. 241, 97 S. W. 1037, 8 L. R. A. (N. S.) 880.
The requisite remittitur • having been filed, judgment for §25 was on March 3, 1921, affirmed.
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