100 P. 300 | Or. | 1909
Lead Opinion
delivered the opinion of the court.
The testimony tends to establish the following facts: Plaintiff at the time of the accident was twenty-two years of age, in good health, and residing on the west side of Grand avenue, in the City of Portland, and a little south of, and on the opposite side of the street from, Neustadter’s shirt factory, where she had been employed for about two years. On the morning of July 12, 1906, while crossing the avenue from her home to the factory, a trolley wire of the company, which had for some time been sagging, fell, striking plaintiff on the forehead, and, glancing down her face, struck her two or three times, the effect of which was to daze and cause her to stagger, and to be unable .to hear one nearby who called to her. She remained in such condition for a few minutes, and the first incident of which she appears to have been cognizant was that her mother, who had met her at the sidewalk, was caring for her at their home, when she discovered that one side of her head and body was numb and without feeling. After remaining at home about 30 minutes, she returned to her work, but, finding herself unable to resume work, on request of her employer, returned home, and, owing to her nervous and impaired physical
Some authorities from other jurisdictions are cited by counsel for defendant, which appear to sustain their contention on this point, but we are satisfied with the rule on the subject in forcé in this State.
The judgment is affirmed. Affirmed.
Rehearing
Decided April 27, 1909.
On Petition for Rehearing.
[101 Pac. 204.]
delivered the opinion of the court.
“In cases of this character, the law provides that where it is shown that an accident is caused by the breaking or sagging of a wire, or by something going wrong in the 'business of a defendant engaged, as this defendant was, in propelling cars by electricity by means of overhead wires, and it is further shown that a hanger which broke and a wire which sagged and which caused an accident were the property of and in*515 the custody and control of the defendant, the law presumes then, or raises the presumption, that the defendant was negligent and that the accident was caused by its negligence. And when this is shown, provided there was no contributory negligence shown on the part of the plaintiff, the burden of proof is shifted to the defendant to show to your minds by a preponderance of evidence that it, the defendant, was not at fault, and that the accident happened without any negligence or want of ordinary care upon its part.”
The instruction quoted, with the exception of a slight variation of a few words to fit the case at hand, is the same as in the Boyd case. Indeed, it anpears to have been taken from the instruction there given. The italicized part is the portion especially challenged, with respect to which the language in both cases is identical, and the similarity of the facts presented is ample to make the rules of law governing the evidence adduced applicable in both cases. But it is argued that the question here presented was not involved nor considered by the court in that case, in reference to which it is asserted that nowhere in the opinion can it be found that the point was there made or urged on appeal. The latter suggestion overlooks the fact that it is often not only unnecessary, but impracticable, to discuss minutely every point presented, or notice in the opinion each and every authority cited: Kamp v. Kamp, 59 N. Y. 212, 221. The effect from a legal standpoint must often be determined from the conclusions announced upon questions raised, argued, and submitted. An inspection of the briefs in the Boyd case on file in this court discloses that the point alluded to was not only properly raised in the trial court, but that error was predicated thereon, constituting one of the main points presented upon which a reversal was demanded.
It is true, however, that another point was first adverted to by the court, and there treated “as defendant’s initial contention, and the one most strenuously
Other errors are assigned in the petition, by reason of which it is argued that a rehearing should be granted; but, after a re-examination of the points urged, including all authorities cited and relied upon in support thereof, we conclude that sufficient cause is not shown to justify re-opening the case for further argument.
The petition is denied.
Affirmed: Rehearing Denied.