San Pedro, L. A. & S. L. R. v. Thomas
Opinion of the Court
On a former presentation of it, this court rendered a decision which necessarily settled the law of this case for the trial court (170 Fed. 129), to which it was remanded for a new trial. From the record on which the case has been again presented, it appears that it was retried before the court and a jury, and by the instructions given the issue which this court held to be proper to be determined by a jury was submitted to the jury, and by the verdict returned decided in favor of the plaintiffs, who are now the de
The only contention of the plaintiff in error, which may be considered as new matter, is based upon exceptions to the refusal of the court to give to the jury certain instructions requested in writing, as follows:
Exception No. 2:
“The court instructs the jury that a passenger up on a railroad train has a right to presume, where a train is to stop at a regular station, that it will stop a sufficient length of time to allow passengers desiring to alight to have a reasonable opportunity to do so, without going upon the platform of the car before the train comes to a stop at the station. Passengers are not required, before the train comes to a stop, to go upon the platform to ho ready to get off when it does stop. * * * ”
Exception No. 3:
“A passenger is not justified in standing upon the platform of a car of a moving train as it approaches the station, merely for the purpose of his own convenience, or for the purpose of alighting quickly when the train arrives at the station. * * *’’
Exception No. 4:
“If a passenger voluntarily stands upon the platform of a ear of a moving train as it approaches the station, merely for the purpose of his own convenience, or for the purpose of alighting quickly when the train arrives at the station, in violátion of the printed rules and regulations of a railroad company conspicuously posted in the manner prescribed by law, and while so standing upon the platform is injured or killed, when by remaining in the car he would have escaped injury, then neither he nor his heirs are entitled to recover against the railroad company, even though the railroad company was negligent in the manner of operation of the train. * * * ”
The judgment is affirmed.
Concurring Opinion
(concurring). While it.cannot, I think, be doubted that the instruction set forth in Exception No. 2, referred to in the opinion, is good law, I do not think the trial court erred in refusing to give it, for the reason that, in view of the admitted facts in the case, the real question for the jury was whether or not the deceased’s action at the time of the accident was such as to make him guilty of contributory negligence, in respect to which question the instruction of the court below seems to have been sufficiently full and clear.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SAN PEDRO, L. A. & S. L. R. CO. v. THOMAS
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Carriers (§ 348*) — Action for Injury to Passengers — Instructions— Contributory Negligence. In an action against a railroad company for the death of a passenger, who was killed by the derailment of the car while entering a station and when he was standing on the platform, where the court instructed the jury fully as to the provisions of Civ. Code Cal. § 483, applicable to the case, it was not error to refuse an instruction requested, laying down an ■ arbitrary rule which would bar recovery, and to submit the question of contributory negligence, in view of the statute, to the jury. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Carriers, Dee. Dig. § 348.*] 2. Trial (§ 240*) — Instructions—Refusal of Requests. It is not error for a court to refuse an instruction, prepared by counsel, stating general propositions which merely support an argument in favor of the party presenting it. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Trial, Cent. Dig. § 561; Dec. Dig. § •240.*]