Brekick v. Welch
Brekick v. Welch
Opinion of the Court
In 1908 the respondent, as contractor, was engaged in the construction of a railroad bed from the city of Spokane westerly, and had in his employ, among others, the appellant. At the time of the accident which gives rise to this controversy, the appellant was engaged with others in sinking a shaft from the surface of the ground down to the grade of the railroad bed. The surface of the ground above the bed was at this point some eighteen feet, and to bring the earth to the surface a windlass, ropes and bucket were used. The rope was fastened to the windlass by an ordinary staple placed astride the rope and driven into the windlass. The appellant, with same five or six others, did the work of sinking the shaft. After it had reached the level of the grade, and just as the work was about to begin on laterals, the foreman of the work came along and directed the appellant to go down into the shaft and assist the men
The trial judge in granting the motion for judgment took the view that the danger of injury from the mode of entering the shaft, adopted by the appellant, was open and apparent, and that the appellant must be held to have assume'd all the risks arising therefrom. This view has seemed to us to be sound. To review the evidence on which the conclusion is based would but lengthen this opinion and serve no useful purpose, but it can be gathered therefrom that the appellant well knew the danger to himself of the method he adopted by which to enter the shaft, and this being true, he must be held alone hable for the consequences.
The judgment appealed from will stand affirmed.
Parker and Mount, JJ., concur.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting) — In view of the fact that the appellant obeyed the command of the foreman, I think the question of the assumption of the risk should have been submitted to the jury. I therefore dissent.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.