156 Mass. 391 | Mass. | 1892
The question, as presented by the plaintiff’s evidence and the ruling of the court, is whether, if one who is travelling in the highway sees a loose telephone wire hanging so as to endanger travellers, and stoops to pick it up and throw it out of the way, he does by that act lose the protection given to travellers by the statute, so that he cannot recover for a defect in the highway under the Pub. Sts. c. 52, § 18. It must be assumed that the jury might have found that the plaintiff was using due care, unless the contrary appears as matter of law, and that the wire charged with electricity was a defect. The fact that the wire belonged to the plaintiff’s master is immaterial. Burt v. Boston, 122 Mass. 223, 227. Hill v. Winsor, 118 Mass. 251, 255.
Our decisions have drawn the line of liability rather favorably for towns, and the case at bar comes pretty near the line; but we are of opinion that the plaintiff ought to have been allowed to go to the jury. It is plain that the mere fact that he stopped momentarily — if he did, which is not clear — would not deprive him of his rights as a traveller. Bliss v. South
JExceptions sustained.