39 N.Y.S. 454 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1896
This action is between master and servant. The case is somewhat novel in its facts, but the principles which control its disposition have been many times stated. Plaintiff was employed as a longshoreman, and at the timé of the injury complained of he was engaged in assisting in the removal from a vessel of a cargo of jute, and had been so engaged for about three weeks. His employment called him to remove the bales of jute from the tiers, as they were stowed in the hold of the vessel, and place them in slings, for lifting to the deck above. The bales were about four feet long and eighteen inches thick; three or four bales would be placed in a sling, and when made up was called a “ draft.” This draft was lifted by means of steam power to the deck above, and was accomplished by means of a rope with a hook, which was attached to the sling. "When the hook was attached a signal to hoist was given ; as the draft lifted plaintiff would swing it from under the combing of the hatch into the open hatchway and the bales would be lifted to the deck above. There were several other workmen engaged in the same occupation at different points in the hold, and each took turn in attaching the hook to the sling as the drafts were made up. Plaintiff had made up a draft, attached the hook, and, as it was raised from the floor, he stood in front of it, under the open hatch, pulling it out from under the combing, when the defendant John T. Clark, who was present directing the work, caught him by the arm, swore at him, shoved him behind the draft, and immediately after, a bale, coming from behind, in the hold of the ship, rolled upon plaintiff’s leg, and he sustained a compound fracture of the bones, necessitating subsequent amputation of the leg.
The allegations of the complaint were, in substance, that defendant directed plaintiff to go behind the bales and push the draft out, so that it would swing clear of the combings, and that in obedience to such direction, and without knowledge of danger, he obeyed the order and suffered the injury; that the place where he was directed to go was a place of danger, and that defendant was guilty of negligence in ordering him to go there without taking proper precautions to make the place safe. There was no allegation that defendant used any physical force in placing plaintiff in the position where he was injured, or that he committed any assault upon him at any
“ Plaintiff’s Counsel.— That is our claim and the only claim.”
“ The Court.— That is, that the master failed to fulfill his duty to the servant, but put him in a position where it was not safe for that servant to work, and the master ought to have known it was not safe ; that is the proposition, as I understand it ? ”
“ Plaintiff’s Counsel.— That is it; yes, sir.”
“Defendants’ Counsel.— Then there is no claim as to the machinery being defective or the appliances unsuitable % ”
“■The Court.-—• ÜSTo'.”
It is thus apparent that the issue presented, extracted from the proof, as stated by the court and agreed to by the counsel, was the failure of obligation upon the part of defendant to provide a safe place for plaintiff to work. This involved the construction of the physical act of defendant as having no other or different relation to the issue than, perhaps, a mere emphasis of the oral direction to get behind- the draft, and tending to some extent to destroy plaintiff’s opportunity for voluntary action.- It clearly excludes any idea of an assault as a basis- of liability. When the application was made to amend, no suggestion of this character and no claim.was made that
The case, therefore, is left for our disposition upon the question whether defendant failed in his duty to provide a reasonably safe place to work,' or directed the plaintiff to go into a place which he knew, of ought to have known, was dangerous. The- plaintiff was' an experienced longshoreman, had followed the business for ten years, and frequently before had unloaded cargoes of jute, . and had been at work in this vessel for the three weeks preceding 'the injury. The place where he was injured, and its condition, was the creation of himself and fellow-servants, and usually no liability exists upon the part of the master for an injury received under such circumstances. (Collins v. Crimmins, 11 Misc. Rep. 24; Smith v. Empire Trans. Co., 89 Hun, 593.)
There are some exceptions to this rule, as. where the master1 gives assurance that the conditions will not be changed during the performance of the labor, or where the master orders the workman into a dangerous place. The rule and its exceptions are -found stated in Kranz v. L. I. R. R. Co. (123 N. Y. 1); Cullen v. Norton (126 id. 1); Stuber v. McEntee (142 id. 200).
Assuming that the exception finds force here, does the proof warrant its application ? Defendant insists that there is no proof that the place where plaintiff, was pushed or directed to go was, in fact, unsafe, beyond the happening of the accident. Standing alone, the latter would not be sufficient. It is quite difficult to discover just what the condition was in the rear of plaintiff when he went behind the draft, or from what point or how the bale was dislodged which fell upon him. Counsel for respondent states in his brief.: “ The place into Which plaintiff was thus peremptorily ordered was directly underneath the tiers of bales which were being broken out.” I am unable to find this statement supported in the folios of the. testimony to which he refers for its support, or elsewhere in the case. Plaintiff’s testimony in this respect is, that when he was in front of
The defendants are entitled to a new trial. Judgment should, therefore, he reversed and a new trial ordered, with costs to abide the event.
All concurred, except Babtlett, J., not sitting.
Judgment and order reversed and new trial granted,'costs to abide the event.'