77 P. 347 | Utah | 1904
Lead Opinion
This action was brought to recover damages for personal injuries, which the plaintiff claims-he received because of the negligence of the defendant. In the complaint, so far as material to this decision, it is alleged that on January 28, 1902, the plaintiff was in the employ of the defendant company at. its smelting works, and while so in its employ was ordered by defendant to assist in passing crushed ore from a certain ore bin, through chutes, into an ore car; that previously the plaintiff had been employed as a helper in the roasting department, but had not until that day assisted in passing ore through the bins; that it was necessary for him, in performing such work, to stand or -sit on a narrow plank or platform, about six inches wide, extending around the top of the bin; that' same was not a reasonably safe place, or sufficient for him to perform the work; that defendant had negligently permitted crushed ore to collect and remain upon the platform, thereby increasing the unsafeness thereof, and had negligently failed to provide any other place for plaintiff to stand or sit; that the place and premises were insufficiently and improperly lighted; that by reason of the neglect of defendant to provide a safe place for plaintiff to perform the work, and to sufficiently and properly light said place and premises, plaintiff fell from the platform into the bin; that, after falling into the bin,
From the evidence it appears that the plaintiff was employed by the defendant to work in the roasting department of its smelter, about the middle of October, 1901, and continued in the employment until the date of the accident, January 28,1902; that generally he was employed in a building separate from that in which the accident occurred; that on the day of the injury, and on one previous occasion, he was, by order of the foreman, working in the crusher building, assisting in passing ore through a certain ore bin, known as “bin No. 4,” into a car standing on the track underneath the ore chute; that the bin, which was in the second story of the building, was about eight and one-half feet wide, eleven and one-half feet long, and twelve feet deep; that the timber around the top of the bin is twelve inches square, and one piece of the same size extends across the top of the bin east and west; that across the top of the bin there extends north and south also a tramway track, from two to three feet wide;.that this arrangement of the timber and track leaves the openings into the bin about three and one-half by three and two-thirds feet in the clear; that the timber and the track were the only place upon which the plaintiff could stand or sit in the performance of his work; that there are a number of
At the trial a verdict was returned, and judgment entered thereon, in favor of the plaintiff. The record contains numerous'assignments of error, but they present only a few questions necessary to be determined upon this appeal.
The appellant, in the first instance, insists that the court erred in the admission in evidence of the opinions
It is clear that the objections to this testimony ought to have been sustained. Both questions were improper, under the circumstances, and the answers thereto inadmissible, under the familiar rules of evidence. As may be observed, one of the principal grounds of negligence alleged in the complaint is that the “place of work” and premises were “insufficiently and improperly lighted,” and that, by reason of the neglect of the defendant “to sufficiently and properly light said place and premises,” the plaintiff “fell from the platform into said bin” and was injured. This was denied by the answer, and by such denial the sufficiency of light to render the place safe became* an issue in the case, to be determined by the jury from the facts and not from opinions of witnesses; the subject of inquiry being one not requiring such opinions to enable the jury to comprehend the real situation and draw correct conclusions. Where, as here, the subject-matter concerning which inquiry is being made is within the comprehension of persons of ordinary intelligence, witnesses must state the
To permit a witness, under the pleadings in this case, to state that the lights were insufficient, or that an additional- light was necessary to render the place safe, would be an invasion of the province of the jury. In answering the questions ashed, the witnesses necessarily decided a material issue, which the jury could readily have determined from the facts laid before them, and from facts which could have been laid before them. The cases where opinions of witnesses are received in evidence are exceptions to the general and elementary rule that witnesses must state facts, and not give their opinions. ‘‘The law does not look with favor upon the introduction of opinions in evidence. As a rule witnesses are expected to testify to facts, and it is for the court or jury to draw conclusions and form opinions from the facts thus brought before them. Even when opinions are admitted, the ostensible purpose is to inform the jurors concerning some fact, and evidence which is sometimes received from necessity has been said to be less an opinion than a conclusion of fact.” 12 Am. and Eng. Enc. Law (2 Ed.), 421.
In Smead v. L. S. & M. S. Ry. Co., 58 Mich. 200, 24 N. W. 761, where it was held error to permit a witness to give his opinion as to whether or not a certain “cattle guard was sufficient to prevent animals from getting on the right-of-way under circumstances ordinarily arising at those places,” it was said: “It is quite elementary that a witness can only give his opin
In Brunker v. Cummins, 133 Ind. 443, 32 N. E. 732, a witness was asked to state “whether there was sufficient room, between where that barrel was and the wall, for a man to walk with safety. ’ ’ The Supreme Court, holding the question improper, because calling for an expression of opinion as to negligence of the parties, said: “Even in eases where necessity justifies the expression-of an opinion, the opinion cannot go to the principal points which the law requires the jury to decide. ’ ’
So, in Combs v. Ditch Co., 17 Colo. 146, 28 Pac. 966, 31 Am. St. 275, it was held error to overrule an objection to a question, as follows: “Prom your experience as a farmer, and in irrigation in connection with it, is there water enough in that ditch now, or has there been for the last two years, to irrigate the lands which have heretofore been irrigated by that ditch?” The court said: ‘ ‘ The question was not merely introductory. It embraced the very substance of the issue which the court was then trying; and a categorical answer, such as the question called for, would, if accepted by the court, have been a complete determination of the issue. It is an elementary rule that such questions are inad-xmssibl g * ^
In Hamilton v. Mining Co., 108 Mo. 364, 18 S. W. 977, where the plaintiff was injured by a coal car running over his leg, the railroad being a spur owned and operated by the defendant to its mine, the court held that the defendant could not, on cross-examination of a witness, ask him whether it was negligence for a per
In Black v. Telephone Company, 26 Utah 451, 456, 73 Pac. 514, a question was propounded to a witness, as follows: “Now, as a practical man, experienced for years in this work, as you say you have been, what would you say would be the proper thing for a man under these conditions to do — attach himself, or not?” In upholding the action of the lower court, sustaining-an objection that this question called for an opinion of the witness upon the merits, this court, speaking through Mr. Chief Justice BASKIN, said: “As the question objected to called for the opinion of the witness, based upon conditions [what these conditions were was not disclosed by the question] on a matter which it was the exclusive province of the jury to decide, the objection was properly sustained.”
Likewise, in Stoll v. Daly Min. Co., 19 Utah 271, 284, 285, 57 Pac. 295, this court held that it was error to permit witnesses to state their opinions upon the question of the competency or carelessness of an engineer. McCABTY, District Judge, delivering the opinion of the court, said: “The alleged incompetency and carelessness of Adamson being issues in the case, they were questions for the jury to determine. It was error to permit the witnesses, over appellant’s objections, to state their conclusions and give their opinions on these issues. ‘The opinion of witnesses on the substance of an issue should never be resorted to, except when the subject is beyond the knowledge and experience of ordinary men. ’ ” 2 Labatt, Mast. & Servt., section 830; 1 Whart., Ev., section 440; 12 Am. and Eng. Ency. Law (2 Ed.), 422; Mining Co. v. Broderick, 25 Colo. 16, 53 Pac. 169, 71 Am. St. 106; Mellor v. Utica, 48 Wis. 457, 4 N. W. 655; Gutridge v. Railway Co., 7 S. W. (Mo.) 476, 4 Am. St. 392; Bohr v. Neuenschwander, 120 Ind. 450, 22 N. E. 416; Harley v. B. C. M. Co., 142 N. Y. 31,
The appellant also insists that the testimony as to the condition of the No. 4 bin, and as to the. position of a certain plank, and ore thereon several hours after the
In view of the fact that the plaintiff’s evidence tended to show that there was no plank there, and that one was necessary to brace himself to keep from overbalancing and falling into the bin, the evidence in dispute was competent, and ought to have been admitted. The lapse of time, under the circumstances, was not so great as to justify the court in excluding the evidence
In Chicago v. Dalle, 115 Ill. 386, 5 N. E. 578, where it was claimed a defect in a sidewalk was the cause of the injury, it was held that the condition of the sidewalk shortly before and shortly after the accident might be admitted in evidence as tending to prove its condition at the time of the accident. In the opinion it was said: “It is plain that the liability of the city is to be determined by the condition of the sidewalk at the time the injury was received. If the sidewalk was then in a good and safe condition for persons to travel over, the city would not be liable, but if, on the other hand, the sidewalk was then out of repair and dangerous to travel upon, the city might be liable. But in passing upon the relevancy of the evidence it is not required that it should, of itself, absolutely prove a case; but the question is whether it tends to prove the fact or facts for which it is offered. If it does, then the evidence may be competent for the consideration of the jury. Here the question at issue was the condition of the sidewalk when the plaintiff was injured, and the best evidence would be proof of its condition immediately preceding the accident; but at the same time it was competent to prove the condition of the sidewalk a few days before and a few days after the accident, as tending to establish its condition at the time of the accident.”
So, in Mackie v. Railroad, 54 Iowa 540, 6 N. W. 723, the court held that evidence of the condition of a defective gate, two or three days after the accident,
We do not regard it important to decide the other questions presented on this appeal, since upon another trial they may not again arise.
The judgment must be reversed, with costs, and the cause remanded, with directions to the court below to grant a new trial. It is so ordered.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). — I am unable to-concur with my Brethren in the conclusions reached in the foregoing opinion. One of the grounds upon which plaintiff bases his right to recover in this action is the alleged negligence of the defendant company in failing “to provide for said place of work and for said premises proper and sufficient light, or for the-purpose of said work and for the safety of the plaintiff in the performance of his work; that by reason of such neglect to provide a reasonably safe place for plaintiff in which to perform his work, and by reason of the failure and neglect to sufficiently and properly light said place and premises, plaintiff, while in the performance of his duties, fell from said platform into said bin, and into one of the chutes thereof.” In support of this allegation plaintiff introduced testimony which tended to show that the bin in which' he was working, on the evening of the accident, “punching down ore,” was lighted by two stationary lamps only, one of which was attached to a
In regard to the effect the light from the light described by Wright as being north from the one referred to in the foregoing cross-examination had upon the bin where the plaintiff was at work, it was shown by the testimony of defendant’s witnesses that because of certain obstructions between the bin and the lamp the light produced could not reach the bin. James Crellin, the foreman under whom plaintiff was working at the time he was injured, was called as a witness by defendant, and on cross-examination was asked the following question on this point: “Q. It is true that that light would be in such a position that this bank of ore would practically obscure it from No. 4 [referring to bin at which plaintiff was at work]? A. Yes, sir.” Joseph Alsop, another of defendant’s witnesses, testified respecting this same matter as follows: “Q. I will say, did this arrangement here that has been, I think, denominated a ‘lime rock bin,’ and the pile of ore that was on the outside of it, come within — between the bin 4 and this light here, between 10 and 11 [referring to bins Nos. 10 and 11] ? A. Yes, sir. Q. It interfered with it? A. Yes, sir. Q. And it didn’t light up bin 4 at all did it? A. That light didn’t light up bin 4.”
Now the testimony of Wright to which objection is made referred only to the extent and effect of the light furnished by the two last-mentioned lamps, and the record shows that these lamps were so situated with refer
’ Even though it be conceded that the testimony under consideration was upon one of the controverted questions in the case, yet under the great weight of authority it was admissible. Wright was sent there to examine, and if need be repair, the lamps. He “walked over the
In the case of Commonwealth v. Sturtivant, 117 Mass. 122, 19 Am. Rep. 401, the rule which is elaborately discussed in the body of the opinion is tersely stated and summed up in the syllabus as follows: “Common observers, having special opportunities for observation, may testify to their opinions or1 conclusions of fact, although they are not experts, if the subject-matter to' which the testimony related cannot he reproduced or described to the jury precisely as it appeared to the witness at the time, and the facts upon which the witness is called to express his opinion are such as men in general are capable of comprehending.” In Abbot’s Trial Ev. (2 Ed.), p. 729, the author says: “Facts discernible by judgment or estimate, but not requiring special knowledge or skill, are not regarded as matters of opinion within these rules. Hence any person of ordinary knowledge or experience may testify to his judgment of' the speed of a train or vehicle, or whether a person looked sick or well, and the like. ’ ’ Gillet on Indirect and Collateral Ev., sec. 213; Case v. Perew, 46 Hun 57. In
James Crellin, one of defendant’s witnesses, having testified on his direct examination respecting the number and efficiency of the lights in the vicinity of bin No. 4, one of which lights he testified was adjustable, and which “we [referring to himself and plaintiff] took where they were going to do work,” and that “the extension light was extended right over bin No. 4,” was’ «cross-examined in part by plaintiff as follows: “Q. "What was that light [referring to the extension light] brought to No. 4 bin for? A. Just to have more light to work there by. Q. Now, Mr. Crellin, "again, you recognized at that time that the light was necessary for this bin, did you? A. Not perfectly necessary. No, sir. I took it over there because two lights are better than one, and you know that. Q. Didn’t take it over because you recognized it was necessary? A. We needed it if we had to go into the bin, and certainly it is necessary — two lights are better than one. ... Q. Do you say a light over bin No. 4 was necessary for the safety of the men or a man working there? A. It would not be perfectly necessary, but it would be more safe to have two lights than it would be to have one. ” This last question, was objected to on the ground that it called for the conclusion of the witness, and was one of the questions for the jury to determine. Defendant introduced evidence
Crellin was the foreman and representative of defendant company, and as such had the control and management of the work in which plaintiff was engaged, and as such foreman it was not only his duty, or rather that of defendant company acting through him, to provide plaintiff a reasonably safe place in which to perform the work required of him, but to use ordinary care in keeping it in a reasonably safe condition. The situation there being one of danger, as shown by defendant’s evidence, and Crellin having testified on direct examination respecting the number, location, and efficiency of the lamps, and that he had taken the extension or adjustable light from the' bin in which he and the plaintiff had been at work that same afternoon, and hung it over bin No. 4, it was.not only plaintiff’s right to cross-examine him respecting the things he actually did, but it was within the discretionary power of the court to permit plaintiff to interrogate him respecting his object and reason for doing certain things, especially in view of the fact that he was a “willing witness” for defendant and adverse to plaintiff. Jones on Evidence, sec. 826.
There is another reason why this testimony was admissible. The acts of Crellin in the premises, on principle and in law, were the acts of defendant company, and the plaintiff was entitled to this evidence for the purpose of showing that the place was one of danger, and that the defendant company, through its foreman, Crel-lin knew of such danger, and understood and appreciated the necessity of more than one lamp in the immediate vicinity of bin No. 4, in order that the work might be
The next error alleged is the exclusion of Avery’s testimony with reference to the plank which other witnesses for defendant had testified to having seen lying across bin No. 4 just prior to the accident. It appears from the record that the plank in question was not a part of the bin; that is, it was not a fixture of or permanently attached to the bin. Crellin, defendant’s principal witness testified on his direct examination with reference to its character as follows: “Q. Now, do you know whether or not, in addition to this plank and ladder, there were any other loose material about the floor? A. You mean plank? Q. I mean plank. A. Yes, sir; there were several pieces of plank lying around there.” In fact the record shows that there was but little more permanency respecting the location of the plank than there was to the pick, shovels, and other tools with which the work there was performed.
Under these circumstances, in order to entitle appellant to Avery’s testimony that he saw a plank lying
I am of the opinion that the judgment of the trial court should be affirmed.