Olson v. Humbird Lumber Co.
Olson v. Humbird Lumber Co.
Opinion of the Court
At the time of the injury complained of in this action, the defendant owned and operated a sawmill at Sand Point, Idaho. The mill was built on the bank or shore of Lake Pend Oreille, and the logs were brought into the mill from the lake over a logway. After the logs reached the mill or log deck they were rolled from the logway by means of an appliance known as a steam kicker. The kicker consisted of several iron bars about four feet in length situated a few feet
“I just started and lifted at the same time the log started and then I tried to get my cant hook loose from the log, but could not hardly do it. At the same time I tried to do that, I took a step ahead and just slipped down in a hole in the floor there on the side of the kicker. I tried to pull my foot up but could not do it it was in so tight in there. The kicker came back and tightened up. Q. Did you fall down or stand up? A. Just held over to the side and fall on my arms. Q. You fell over on your arms? A. Yes, sir. Q. Did it pain you any at that time. A. Yes, sir, it pained me awfully. Q. Just tell the jury what was done next if you remember. A. Well, the next to do was somebody chopped out the floor a little there, and they were going kind of slow, so that after that he [referring to the foreman of the mill] started and used that steam*139 feeder and the kickers came up and down again in full motion, and he used the kicker twice and the foot is standing down in the hole. After he used it twice I tried to pull out and somebody helped me, but we could not get it, and I noticed the bone was broken in the leg because I tried to pull it and I could twist it around in all directions. He raised the kicker once more and a few men were pulling my leg and the foot comes out with the kicker.”
While the complaint alleged the defective condition of the log deck, the particular act of negligence which caused the injury, according to the allegations of the complaint, was the act of the defendant’s foreman in operating the steam kicker for the purpose of releasing the plaintiff’s foot from the hole in the log deck. Among other defenses interposed, the defendant averred that the negligent act complained of was the act of a fellow servant under the laws of the state of Idaho, which were specially pleaded in the answer. At the close of the plaintiff’s testimony the defendant moved to discharge the jury and direct a judgment in its favor, for the reason that it appeared from all the testimony that the negligent act charged in the complaint was the act of a fellow servant. The plaintiff, on the other hand, asked leave to amend his complaint to conform to the testimony received at the trial tending to show that the injury was caused by a defect in the bed of the log deck and not by the act of the foreman Blake. • After expressing some doubt as to the right of the plaintiff to amend, the court said:
“I will discharge the jury and give you an opportunity to present that portion of the evidence and I will consider your application to amend, and it will depend to some extent as to what the testimony in the case is upon that subject, so I will make the order to discharge the jury and take your application to amend under advisement.”
Judgment was thereupon entered in favor of the defendant, but upon motion of the plaintiff the court thereafter granted a new trial. From the latter order the defendant has appealed.
In support of its appeal the appellant contends that the only act of negligence alleged or proved was the negligence of the
It clearly appears, however, that the testimony on the part of the respondent made out a prima facie case against the appellant for failure to furnish a reasonably safe place for its servants in the performance of their duties. Whether such negligence was sufficiently pleaded we need not inquire, because in the exercise of a sound discretion the court might well have permitted the complaint to be amended to conform to the facts proved, on such .terms as it deemed just, and whether that discretion was exercised at the time the application was made, or on the application for a new trial, the ruling of the court is not subject to review here, unless an abuse of sound judicial discretion is made manifest, and no such showing is made or attempted. Inasmuch as the new trial was fully warranted on the ground above indicated, we do not deem it necessary to decide what the fellow servant law of our sister state of Idaho is or its application to the facts here presented.
The order granting a new trial is therefore affirmed.
Hadley, C. J., Fullerton, Crow, Dunbar, and Mount, JJ.. concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Carl Olson v. Humbird Lumber Company, Limited
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Master and Servant — Negligence op Master — Proximate Caus|¡ —Safe Place — Fellow Servants. In an action by an employee, injured on a log deck in a saw mill, the evidence tends to show that the injury was caused, to some extent, by reason of failure to furnish a safe place to work, rather than by negligence of a fellow servant, where it appears that a steam kicker had torn a hole in the floor, into which the plaintiff stepped and was thrown down, causing him great pain at that time, and that in attempting to release him, the operator put the kicker in motion, after which it was discovered that his leg was broken. Same — Pleading—Amendments to Conform to Proof — Appeal— Review — Discretion. In an action by an employee whose complaint, relied particularly upon the negligence of a co-employee in putting in motion a steam kicker, after plaintiff’s foot had become fast in a hole in the floor, it is discretionary to allow, upon terms, an amendment to the complaint to allege negligence in failing to provide a safe place to work, where the evidence made out a prima facie case of negligence as to-the hole in the floor; and the same will not be reversed on appeal in the absence of a showing of abuse of discretion.