American Realty Co. v. Thompkins
American Realty Co. v. Thompkins
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court:
The errors assigned on the refusal of the defendant’s three
The appellant does not deny the general correctness of the charge given, but contends that, in view of the particular facts, it did not go far enough in the application of the law thereto. This was the ground of the exception noted. Counsel say: “We complain of this instruction, because it does not apply the general law to the facts of the case; at least it applies only partially.”
It is argued that while the evidence shows that plaintiff did receive medical and surgical aid, it also shows that she refused to be guided by the advice of her surgeon to undergo an operation. This is true, but the charge left it to the jury in general terms to say whether she had failed to use ordinary care throughout. Assuming that the court should have given an instruction specially directing the attention of the jury to the' fact that plaintiff had refused to undergo an operation advised by her own surgeon, and directing them specially to consider whether she failed to exercise ordinary care and precaution in such refusal, had an instruction limited thereto been prayed, we
The only question of fact left to the jury was whether such-operation, if performed, would in all probability have resulted' in effecting a cure. If they so found, they were told that the-refusal to undergo the operation constituted negligence on her-part, which would prevent her recovery of damages for' suffering an injury extending beyond the time when such operation* might have reasonably been performed and a cure effected, after-she received such advice. "We are of the opinion that the instructions, if given, would have constituted an invasion of the-province of the jury, and that they were therefore properly refused. Whether an injured person has been guilty of negligence contributing to the receipt of the injury is always a question of' fact for the determination of the jury. Eor the same reason, it is a question of fact, whether after an injury the party has* neglected to use reasonable precautions and remedies that would* in all probability have prevented future suffering and incapacity. It is only in those cases where the evidence of contributory negligence is so strong and convincing that all reasonable minds could come to no other conclusion than that itexisted, that the court is justified in directing a verdict on that ground. That is not the case here. Confessedly, the operation advised as a last resort was attended with danger to life. Nor is it at all certain that it would have relieved the plaintiff. It was an unusual operation. The plaintiff’s surgeon, and apparently the profession, had heard of its performance in but two cases. -One of these had failed to remedy the injury; the-result of the other was not known. The two operations that had been performed by defendant’s surgeon were unknown to* the profession at large; in fact they had not been made the subject of a report, because he was not certain that they had ef
There was no error either in the charge given, or in refusing the special instructions; and the judgment will therefore be-affirmed, with costs. Affirmed.
On application of the appellant a writ of error to the Supreme Court of the United States was allowed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- AMERICAN REALTY COMPANY v. THOMPKINS
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Negligence; Tbial; Instructions to Jury; Direction oe Verdict. 1. A person injured by the negligence of another is bound to exercise ordinary care to render the injuries no greater than necessary, but he is not bound to take every possible precaution or to employ the very best medical skill. He must exercise the ordinary judgment and care which persons in his condition are ordinarily capable of exercising. 2. A special instruction asked by the defendant in a personal injury case is properly refused when to the effect that it was the duty of the plaintiff, as matter of law, to undergo an operation advised by her physician, leaving it for the jury to determine, as matter of fact, whether such operation, if performed, would probably have resulted in effecting a cure; especially where the operation suggested would have been an unusual one and attended with danger to life. 3. It is only in those cases where the evidence of contributory negligence is so strong and convincing that all reasonable minds could come to no other conclusion than that it existed, that the trial court is justified in directing a verdict on that ground.