116 Me. 179 | Me. | 1917
“This case was an action for damages brought by the administrator of the estate of J. Waldo Miles of Old Town to recover damages from the defendant company for injuries sustained by the plaintiff’s intestate by reason of a collision of a train of the defendant company and an automobile in which the plaintiff’s intestate was riding, the collision occurring at a crossing on Front Street in Old Town on August 3rd, 1914. The verdict of the jury was for the plaintiff, damages being assessed in the sum of $5,320.83; and the case comes to this court on a general motion filed by the defendant to set aside the verdict on the grounds that it is not warranted by the evidence, and also that the damages are excessive. The action was not brought for the purpose of recovering damages for the death of the plaintiff’s intestate, altho he did die from the effect of the injuries received, but only for the pain and suffering, physical and mental, which he endured during his lifetime.
“It appears that the defendant company’s track crossed Front Street, Old Town, at the foot of a hill and that the arrangement of buildings along the left [right] hand side of Front Street as passengers came down the hill toward the track was such as to prevent a person coming down the hill from seeing the track over which trains passed on their way from Bangor to Old Town station until within a very short distance of the track, when a small portion of the rails became visible. The crossing was a blind crossing. Because of this, the defendant company had erected gates, which when in operation, protected the Front Street Crossing. A little to the east of Front Street the defendant company had another grade crossing at Bosworth Street; and still farther to the east another grade crossing was maintained on
“It appears in the evidence that this gate was not operated after the last regular train had gone thru Old Town in the evening, which was ordinarily about six o’clock. The gate tender usually locked his gate in the Bosworth Street gate house at about six P. M., unlocking the gates and putting them in service again at six A. M. The accident in which Mr. Miles met his death occurred at about seven P. M., and at the time of the accident the gate across Front Street was erect.
“It is admitted that the place where the accident occurred — namely at the Front Street Crossing — was near the compact part of the City of Old Town, and hence, the speed of the train comes under the regulations prescribed in Section 86, Chapter 52, of the Revised Statutes and was limited to six miles an hour.
“The testimony of the various witnesses fixes the speed of the train at from ten to eighteen miles an hour, the lowest estimate being ten miles and the highest eighteen. The witnesses for the defense admit a speed of ten or twelve miles’ an hour. Hence, the train was proceeding at an illegal rate.
“The plaintiff contends that the train approached this crossing without giving any warning by blowing a whistle or ringing a bell. The testimony of all of the witnesses, both for the plaintiff and defense, is that the last time the whistle was blown was at or near O’Connell’s blacksmith shop, which was 1877 feet distant from Front Street. At the rate the train was running, this whistle was blown something like two minutes before the time of the accident. And, in view of all the evidence, it cannot be seriously argued that the attention of Mr. Miles was likely to have been attracted by the whistle.
“The evidence concerning the ringing of the bell is conflicting. — ”
Such is the statement of the case contained in the brief of plaintiff.
The view which the court entertains of this case is such that it is not necessary to consider the negligence of defendant. The plain-
While the fact of open gates is a circumstance which a traveller may properly take into consideration, and upon which he may place some reliance, this does not relieve him of all care. Romeo v. B. & M. R. R., 87 Maine, 540, 549; See McCarthy v. B. & M. R. R. Co., 112 Maine, 1, 5, 7; Borders v. B. & M. R. R., 115 Maine, 207, 212,
And ordinarily when the view of the traveller of the track is obstructed, greater care is required in looking and listening, even to the extent, if driving, of alighting, Day v. B. & M. R. R., 96 Maine, 207; Robinson v. Rockland T. and C. St. Ry., 99 Maine, 47. See also Smith v. M. C. R. R., 87 Maine, 339; Giberson v. B. & A. R. R. Co., 89 Maine, 337, 343. Borders v. B. & M. R. R., 115 Maine, 207, 211, 212.
Upon all the circumstances of the case it must be concluded that plaintiff’s intestate’s negligence and want of care contributed to the occurrence of the collision and that the motion for new trial must be granted.