National Fire Proofing Co. v. Crutchley
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court:
It was error to give the first part of the foregoing instruction. There was no evidence whatever that the men engaged in removing the beam were unskilled or unsafe persons. It is true that iron-work construction is a special industry, and that a special set of laborers were engaged therein, but this was not construction work. Removing the iron beam required no more skill than the removal of a wooden one or of the scaffolding itself. It was not, therefore, a violation of the defendant’s duty to set the men about this removal. The work being an ordinary work, it was not improper for the defendant to order it done by these employees. As to this order, the foreman or superintendent were fellow laborers with the plaintiff. New England R. Co. v. Conroy, 175 U. S. 323, 44 L. ed. 181, 20 Sup. Ct. Rep. 85, 7 Am. Neg. Rep. 182; Collins v. John W. Danforth Co. 36 App. D. C. 592-599.
The place provided for the work was ordinarily safe. The injury resulted from the act of those removing the beam. Admit that they were negligent in adjusting the rope or handling the beam, — they were, nevertheless, fellow employees of the plaintiff, who, by his employment, assumed the risk of their negligence, and he is not entitled, to recover.
The court should have given the instruction to find a verdict for the defendant.
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded for further proceedings in conformity with this opinion. Reversed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting:
The plaintiff was employed by the defendant company as a carpenter. That company had nothing whatever to do with the iron work. It was conceded that it was no part of its duty to move the iron beam which fell upon the plaintiff. Therefore it cannot be said that he assumed the risk incident to the removal of that beam. As well stated by the trial court, “When
The plaintiff, in my opinion, with no fault of his own, has been very seriously injured through an accident resulting from the defendant’s negligence. The judgment should be affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- NATIONAL FIRE PROOFING COMPANY v. CRUTCHLEY
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Master and Servant; Fellow Servants; Assumption oe Risk; Negligence. 1. A superintendent in charge of part of the construction work of a building, and the foreman of carpenters under him, are fellow servants of one of the carpenters. (Following Collins v. John W. Dcmforth Co. 36 App. D. C. 592.) 2. Where, in an action for personal injuries, it appears that the plaintiif, a carpenter in the employ of the defendant, a contractor for the concrete work on a building of concrete and steel construction, was injured by the falling of a steel beam which, with a scaffold supporting it, was being removed, under orders of the defendant’s superintendent, by fellow workmen of the plaintiff, the fall being the result of the negligence of the men in adjusting or tying a rope by which the beam was being removed, with the result that the beam slipped and fell, it is error for the trial court to refuse to direct a verdict for the defendant on the ground that the plaintiff was injured by the negligence of fellow servants of the plaintiff, who assumed the risk of their negligence. (Mr. Justice Robb dissenting.) Note. — For the question of vice prineipalship as determined with reference to character of act causing injury, see note in 54 L.R.A. 37.