33 Ga. App. 668 | Ga. Ct. App. | 1925
(After stating the foregoing facts.) In view of the insistence of the defendant that the allowance of the amendment of May 12th was error, and that the overruling of his demurrer to the petition as amended was likewise error, we deem it proper to discuss these questions first.
In the light of the law, the original petition specified the duty of the defendant to furnish plaintiff with suitable appliances to carry on the work of running the sawmill, a definite breach of that duty by supplying inferior belting and unsuitable belt-lacing, and consequent injury to plaintiff by such breach of duty. The amendment neither changed the original cause of action nor set up a new one. It merely deprived the defendant of certain defenses hereinafter enumerated. The amendment was properly allowed. We think this conclusion is sustained in principle by the reasoning in the case of Ellison v. Georgia Railroad Co., 87 Ga. 691 (13 S. E. 809).
The amendment being properly allowed, the next question is: Did the original petition, with the amendment, set out a cause of action? Conceding that the plaintiff was negligent in using defective lacing for the belt, with knowledge of the defect, what then was the effect of the amendment? Certainly to deprive defendant of the following defenses: (a) that the employee was negligent; (&) that the injury was caused by the negligence of a fellow employee; (c) that the employee had assumed the risk of the injury. Workmen’s compensation act, Ga. L. 1920, p. 167, sections 16, 67. The defendant says, however, that the original petition affirmatively shows that plaintiff was precluded from, recovery, and that while
We will next consider the general grounds of the motion for a new trial. In his answer the defendant put the plaintiff to proof of the material allegations of his petition, set up that plaintiff was the superintendent and manager, and pleaded: (a) contributory negligence, (5) assumption of risk, and (c) accident and failure to exercise due care. Was the verdict for the defendant sustained by the evidence? We think so. Whether or not the defendant employed ten or more men within the purview of the compensation act was a question of fact for determination by the jury, and a careful examination of the record convinces us that the jury had the right to conclude that the requisite number of men were not so employed. If the jury did reach this conclusion, the defendant was let into all of his defenses, and the evidence was
The verdict is sustained by the evidence; the record discloses no reversible error in the court’s ruling upon the evidence or in the charge.
Judgment on both bills of exceptions affirmed.