153 Mich. 165 | Mich. | 1908
Plaintiff recovered for personal injuries which she claimed to have sustained while riding as a passenger on one of defendant’s cars when it collided with another of defendant’s cars.
There was no dispute in the case upon the question of defendant’s liability. The controversy in the case was as to the amount of damages plaintiff under her declaration was entitled to recover. The suit was begun by summons in which the amount of damages claimed was $10,000. The declaration filed later set forth certain specific items for hospital bills, medical attendance and medicines; also loss of wages from inability to work. In the ad damnum clause no other or further sum was named, the space in
■ “ That she was greatly hurt, cut, bruised and injured in and about the face, head, body and shoulders and was greatly injured and bruised internally and in consequence thereof and from the effects of which the said plaintiff became and was sick, sore, and lame, disordered and seriously and permanently injured and suffered a permanent*168 injury to the spine involving the spinal nerves and the deep fibrous structure of the spine, * * * that by reason of the injuries aforesaid she has * * * suffered great bodily pain * * * and will continue to suffer * * * for the remainder of her lifetime.”
It appears from the record that the principal contest in the case was relative to the extent and permanency of the nervous disease from which plaintiff is suffering. That fact would not deprive plaintiff of the right to recover other injury if the evidence objected to was competent and admissible under the declaration. The testimony of the attending physician was positive that this condition of the uterus was “ due to results from the injuries she received in the accident.” We think the declaration sufficient to warrant receiving the evidence.
In Montgomery v. Railway Co., 103 Mich. 46 (29 L. R. A. 287), this court in citing and approving the rule laid down in Johnson v. McKee, 27 Mich. 471, after distinguishing the latter case from Shadock v. Plank Road Co., 79 Mich. 7, and other cases, said:
“ It will be seen that the rule thus laid down does not require plaintiff to aver all the physical injuries which he sustained, or which may have resulted from, or have been aggravated by, the tort, even though they do not necessarily result from the original injury. If such injuries can be traced to the act complained of, and are such as would naturally follow from the injury, they need not be specifically averred.”
We do not agree with defendant that the injury referred to must be shown to have been the result of the injury to the spine. The injury to the spine and the consequent nervous prostration, and the injury to the uterus were both received at the time the cars collided and plaintiff was struck upon the back by the falling roof of a car. The declaration charges that she was also “greatly injured find bruised internally.” The trial court was correct in holding that under the declaration the evidence was admissible.
“There are probably six or seven of these nerves involved. * * * In my opinion the nerve itself, the integrity of the nerve, is involved. * * * They are pinned down tight so that they do not perform their functions properly. * * * They are bound down with adhesions that have occurred with the injury to the sheath. * * * I am convinced beyond a question of a doubt that this girl is suffering from what is known as traumatic neurasthenia, commonly known as nervous prostration, and that such nervous prostration is the result of an organic change and that it is permanent. I think the seat of the organic change is at the point that I have described. * * * ”
The other errors assigned do not require discussion.
The judgment is affirmed.