68 Ind. App. 657 | Ind. Ct. App. | 1918
Appellee recovered a judgment against appellant for damages on account of personal injuries sustained through its alleged negligence.
In our consideration of such question we are confined to the issues, which in this case consisted of a single paragraph of complaint and general denial thereto, the general verdict, and the answers to interrogatories.
In answer to interrogatories the jury found, so far as material to the contentions made by appellant, iii substance, as follows: The accident occurred at the crossing of Miley avenue and the tracks of the appellant company and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railway Company in the city of Indianapolis, on January 3, 1913. There were four tracks at this crossing. The first track from the north was what is known as the “running track,” the second track was the out or west-bound main track, and the third was the in or east-bound main track, and the fourth what is known as the old ‘ ‘ C., II. & D. track. ’ ’ The distance between the south and north rail's of the first two tracks was sixteen feet, between the south and north rails of the second and third tracks twenty-four feet. Appellee had been a locomotive engineer for about ten years and was familiar with the surroundings of the crossing in question. He had passed over this crossing a great many times on foot and also while operating a locomotive engine. In his experience appellee had operated a yard engine in the city of Indianapolis, and knew prior to the time of the accident that a train or engine might approach from either direction on the running track
The charging part of the complaint is in substance as follows: On January 3, 1913, appellee was walking south on Miley avenue, and was compelled to cross over appellant’s tracks. Before he attempted to cross said tracks, he looked and listened for the approach of trains, and continued to look and listen for trains approaching said highway. When he reached the crossing, it was blocked by appellant’s passenger train, which was at the time going westward on the west-bound main track. After waiting for the passenger train to clear the highway, and while exercising due care and diligence for his own safety, appellant negligently and carelessly ran one of its engines into, upon and over appellee on its track immediately north of the track upon which the passenger train was passing. Appellant negligently ran said engine backwards in and through said city, without providing a watchman or other person on the rear end of the locomotive to warn persons of its approach, contrary to and in violation of §11 of an ordinance passed and adopted by the common council of the city of Indianapolis and approved March 12,1886, and which ordinance was on said date in full force and effect; that appellant negligently ran its engine backward at said time and place without giving any notice of its approach, and negligently failed to ring the bell,
Appellant contends that the special findings clearly and undisputedly show contributory negligence upon the part of appellee, and therefore its motion should have been sustained. This claim of appellant is in effect conceding that it was guilty of negligence, and appellee should be entitled to recover if he was not guilty of contributory negligence.
Judgment affirmed.
Note. — Reported in 120 N. E. 389. Last clear chance, applicability of doctrine where dangers are not actually discovered. 55 L. R. A. 418, 36 L. R. A. (N. S.) 957. See under (3, 4) 33 Cyc 1027, 1047.