Packet Co. v. McCue
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
It is- insisted on the part of the plaintiff in error that a master is not responsible to-a servant for injuries caused by the negligence or misconduct of a fellow-servant engaged in the same general business. Whether this general proposition be true or not it is not necessary to determine in the state of this, record. It is conceded, if the employment o'f McCue by the company terminated before the injury complained of was suffered, that the company is liable, and this the jury have found to be-the fact.
We do not think so. One of the theories on which the suit was prosecuted was that McCue’s special employment had ceased when he was injured. This theory was resisted by the defence, and the court, not taking upon itself to determine as an absolute proposition when the employment terminated, left it to the jury to find how the fact was. This ruling, in our opinion, was correct.. It was for the jury to say, from the nature of the employment, the manner of engaging the hands, the usual mode of transacting such a business, and the other circumstances of the case, whether the service had or had not ceased at the time of the accident. The point'was submitted .fairly to the jury, with no more comments than the evidence justified. It was argued by the plaintiff in error that the employment of necessity terminated on the laud, because it was there McCue was en.gaged to do the work, and he had the right to be provided with the proper means of reaching it from the boat. On the contrary, the defendant in error contended the special service ceased’when McCue had finished his work and was paid off; that after this he was not subject to the control or direction of the officers of the boat, but at liberty to stay on the boat or go off as he pleased. The jury took this latter view of .the relation of the parties, and we cannot say that they did not decide correctly. At any rate, their decision on a question of fact is not subject to review in this court. The defence at the best was a narrow one, and in our opinion more technical than just.
Judgment apeirmed.
[See Railroad Company v. Fort, infra, p. 553.]
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Packet Company v. McCue
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- A man standing on a wharf was hired by the mate of a boat desiring to sail soon, and which was short of hands, to assist in lading some goods, which were near the wharf, he not having been in the service of the boat generally though he had been occasionally employed in this sort of work. He assisted in lading the goods, an employment which continued about two hours and a half. He was then told to go to “ the ■ office,” which was on the boat, and get paid. He did so, and then set off to go ashore. While crossing the gang-plank, in going ashore, the boat hands pulled the plank recklessly in and from under his feet, and he was thrown against the dock, injured, and died from the injuries. On a suit under a-statute, by his administratrix, for the injuries done to him — the declaration alleging that he had been paid and discharged, and that after this, and when he was no longer in any way a servant of tbe owners of the boat, he was injured — the defence was that he had remained in the service of the boat till he got completely ashore,'and that the injuries having been done to him by his fellow-servants, the owners of the boat (the comipon master of all the servants) were not liable. There was ho dispute as to the facts, unless the question as to when the relationship of master and servant ceased was a fact. This question the court left to the jury. Held that there was in this no error.'