T. & P. R'y Co. v. Lowry
T. & P. R'y Co. v. Lowry
Opinion of the Court
— Our opinion is that the court did not err in refusing the third special instruction asked by the defendant. In so far as the charge asked was applicable to the case in hand, it was in substance given in the general charge.
There is no doubt that the company has the right to use its own track; and when the train is in motion the engineer, seeing persons near the track ahead of him, might safely presume that they would keep out of the way. But in this case the injury was inflicted in a town. It occurred in a street along which many people were in the habit of passing, so that great care and watchfulness were required of the company’s servants. Before starting the engine across the street, it was certainly their duty to give timely warning as well as to look ahead and see that they were not likely to hurt persons who were passing by. The evidence, in our opinion, shows that those in charge of the engine were guilty of negligence.
Whether there was contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff was fairly left to the jury, and their verdict must be treated as decisive of that question.
We come now to the tenth special instruction which was asked and refused. So much of the special charge as relates to compensation for plaintiff’s property that was damaged or destroyed was properly refused, Because it is admitted that the general charge on that subject was correct.
As to that part of the charge asked and refused which refers to the pain inflicted upon the plaintiff, it is enough for us to say that it is by no means an improvement upon the charge given on the same subject by the court.
Another portion of the special charge which was rejected is as follows: “ In the absence of proof of the value of the labor of his arm, and of the value of his time while it was useless or disabled, and of what he could make by its use in his occupation or calling before its injury, and by such use in its present condition, you cannot include in your estimate of damages any sum for pecuniary damage done to him by reason of the loss of the use of his arm, either totally or partially, in his occupation or employment in life.”
In the first place, ad the entire charge of the court has not been brought before us, it would seem reasonable to presume that the court had given a proper charge upon this part of the case, if any should have been given at all.
It is to be presumed that the jury found their verdict upon the issues actually submitted. And we hardly think that it was necessary for the couft to instruct them not to find upon a matter which was not submitted.
Appellant, however, insists that the verdict was excessive; but we cannot say that it was so manifestly excessive as to warrant a reversal of the judgment. If we leave out of view entirely the damage to the plaintiff from loss of time, diminished capacity for labor, etc., still the evidence shows that the plaintiff’s life was placed in great peril; that he was very seriously hurt; that his injuries are permanent and likely to last through life; that he suffered great pain, not ■only at the time, but for a great while afterwards; and though the pain has been assuaged, it has not been relieved, and may not be ■entirely relieved for an indefinite length of time.
Under these circumstances we are not able to say that the judgment should be reversed, and we think it should be affirmed. H. & G. N. R. R. Co. v. Randall, 50 Tex., 254.
Affirmed.
[Opinion adopted February 27, 1884.]
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The T. & P. R'y Co. v. R. J. Lowry
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- 2 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Negligence — Measure of damages. — When a bodily injury was sustained in consequence of the negligence of a railway company, which injury was of a permanent character, inflicting great bodily pain when it was received, and for a long time afterwards, it was held that a verdict for $2,000 was not so excessive as to require a reversal. 3. Same — Duty of engineer. — While a railway company has the right to use its own track, and while its engineer ordinarily, when his train is in motion, seeing persons near the track ahead of him, has the right to presume that they will keep out of the way, yet, when the train is moving in a town, great watchfulness on the part of the company’s servants is required. It is then the duty of the engineer, before starting his engine across a street, not only to give timely warning of his intention to start, but to look ahead and see that his train is not likely to hurt persons who are passing. 3. Charge of court — Record.— When the entire charge of a court is not incorporated in the record, the presumption will be indulged that a proper charge was given in regard to an issue about which the record contains no charge. 4. Same.— In a suit for damage, charged to have been sustained by the negligence of a railway company in running its cars across a public street, from which plaintiff’s arm was broken and great pain inflicted, the court was asked by defendant to charge the jury: “That defendant had the right to use its own track, and its servants managing its train would have the right to presume, if its track was clear, that it would remain so; and if its servants saw plaintiff driving his team toward the crossing over its track, they had the right to act on the presumption that he would not drive his team on to its track, or in contact with its train, or in dangerous proximity to it; and if you believe from the evidence that plaintiff was not on the track that defendant’s engine occupied, and that his injury, if any, was occasioned by his driving his team up to or against defendant’s train, by reason of which his horses, or one of them, took fright and ran off, and occasioned such injury, then your verdict should be for the defendant.” JELeld, that there was no error in refusing the charge, the evidence showing that the engineer running the train was in the particular case guilty of negligence. 6. Same. — See charge of court for instructions held proper in this case.