154 Iowa 140 | Iowa | 1912
As the plaintiff stepped from the doorway of defendant’s passenger car, immediately after the train bad stopped at Little Eock, sbe put ber band on the jamb of the door, and as sbe turned on the platform to go to the steps, the door swung to and! crushed the joint on her ring finger so that it was necessary to amputate it. The conductor previously bad opened the door, immediately after the announcement of the station, swinging it back so that a catch attached two or three inches from the top fastened into a spring or slot attached near the top of the gentlemen’s closet door. The evidence showed that the door was
“A” was fastened to the car door with two screws, as indicated by lines at the base, and “B” fastened with three screws, indicated in the same way. By turning the two side screws in “B,” the lips into which “A” entered were brought closer together and held “A” the more firmly, and, of course, by turning them the other way, the hold was weakened. As the door was swung open, plaintiff heard these come together and shortly thereafter walked through the doorway, being the last to leave the car. Some time before she had opened the door so that the catch fastened, walked out on the platform to look for the conductor, as she contemplated going on to Bock Rapids instead of getting off at’Little Rock, and, upon reentering, she had stood for a few moments near the doorway, when the door swung against her shoulder. The conductor and brakeman examined the catch, some little time after leaving Little Rock and both testified that the parts of the catch seemed to be securely fastened, the conductor saying that they did not
In Texas & P. Ry. Co. v. Overall, 82 Tex. 247 (18 S. W. 142), the passenger was standing on the platform with his hand on the door jamb when the brakeman or a woman shut the door, and it was held that he was negligent
In Richardson v. Railway (1868), C. P. 37 Law Jour. 300, the door was shut by the guard in the performance of his duty after directing the passengers to take their places. Neither of these cases nor others cited by appellant are inconsistent with our conclusion which finds direct support in decisions subsequently cited.
Appellant has cited a number of eases not in point, and we do not deem it necessary to enter upon a discussion of a proposition which seems to be foreclosed in principle and by authority.
But appellant contends that the evidence overcame the presumption mentioned. In Murphy v. Railway, 89 Ga. 832 (15 S. E. 774), it affirmatively appeared that there was no defect, and in Kelly v. Ry., 109 N. Y. 44 (15 N. E. 879), that the defendant had taken every precaution possible. Here the defendant merely proved that it employed two inspectors at Cedar Rapids whose duties were, one in the day and the other at night, to examine the window and door fastenings, the door locks and the like, in order to correct anything found to be wrong. It seems
The subsequent examination of the catch by the conductor and brakeman was casual, for neither noticed whether the side screws of the part attached to the closet door were so adjusted that the catch would fasten so as to hold firmly. Our conclusion is that the evidence was such as to carry the issues to the jury, and that the law was correctly stated in the instructions. — Affirmed.