77 N.J.L. 502 | N.J. | 1909
The opinion of the court was delivered by
The plaintiff, a school teacher residing at Vineland, became a passenger of the defendant company on November 14th, 1906, to be carried from Vine-land to Cape May, where a teachers’ institute was being held. From Vineland to Millville the defendant company’s road was operated by electricity; from Millville to Cape May it was operated by steam. The tracks of the electric road at Millville station were on the west side of the platform, and those of the steam road were on the east side. Passengers going from Vineland to Cape May were required, when they reached Millville, to alight from the electric train and walk
It is elementary law that in actions for the recovery of damages charged to the negligence of a common carrier, it must appear that there has been a breach of duty on his part, or on the part of those toward whom he stands in the position of master, which has produced the injury. The duty which a railroad company owes to its passengers, with relation to its station platforms, is to take care that the method of construction adopted by it will render the platform as safe for the use of its passengers as the exigencies of its business will permit. The degree of care which it is required to take is that- which is exhibited by persons of ordinary prudence under like circumstances, and, so, the adoption of a method of platform construction which accords with that in general use by well regulated railroad companies, and which is approved by experience, is a due performance of the duty which it owes to
There is nothing in the present case to support the conclusion that the defendant company failed to observe the degree of care indicated in the construction of its platform at the Millville station. There is no proof that it differs in its character from platforms in general use by the defendant and other railroad companies, and no presumption of want of due care arises from the fact that a railroad company, presumably to meet the requirements of its traffic, has constructed its platform in such a way that one portion of it is lower than another, when the difference of level is not greater than the height of an ordinary step. Negligence must be proved, and, in a case like the present, that can be done only by showing that the platform is of a design which a reasonably careful judgment would disapprove as being likely to cause accident to persons using it as a way to and from trains. To hold otherwise would be to leave railroad companies to the mere caprice of juries, and subject them to the danger of being found guilty of negligence no matter what plan of construction they might adopt.
It is argued that even if it be held that the defendant company has not been shown to have failed in its duty to provide a proper platform for the use of the plaintiff, still it was charged with the duty of warning her of the depression in it, and that its failure in this respect rendered it liable to answer to the plaintiff for the injury received by her. We think no sued) burden rests upon these corporations. The duty of a railroad company to take care for the safety of its passengers, so far as the furnishing of appliances is concerned, is fully performed when those appliances are of a standard character and in proper repair. It is under no obligation to call the attention of its passengers to the way in which its platforms, its stations, its cars or any other of its appliances furnished for the use and transportation of its passengers are con
The judgment under review will be affirmed.