101 Mich. 202 | Mich. | 1894
Plaintiff was a brakeman in defendant’s employ. The train crew consisted of the conductor, engineer, fireman, and two brakemen. The train was composed of about 25 freight cars. An empty flat car was next the tender, the remainder being box cars. It was necessary to leave two box cars at a station known as “ Linderman Siding.” The conductor communicated this information to plaintiff. The train had' stopped about-four er five car lengths from the switch. Plaintiff started to go between the cars to uncouple them. He testified that the conductor said:
“No, no; get up on that flat car, and do not pull the pin until tfye train is running. We are going to make a flying switch.”
The way such switches are. made is as follows: The train is started slowly towards the switch, slack is then given, the pin is pulled while the train is in motion, the engine then starts up, and goes past the switch, and one brakeman then turns the switch, letting the disconnected cars pass upon the siding. To accomplish this, plaintiff got upon the rear of the flat car, got on his knees, supported himself on one hand', there being no brake at. that end, pulled the pin, and, just as he was reaching over to lay it down on the bumper of the box car, the engine started ahead, throwing him to the ground, and his leg was injured so that amputation became necessary. He testified that he gave no signal to the engineer to go ahead. Before the train started for the switch the conductor had climbed upon the first box car, and taken his station at the rear, to apply the brake, in which position he was out of sight of the plaintiff. Neither could plaintiff be seen by the engineer, on account of the tender. Plaintiff had
It is the established rule in this State that employes of freight trains are fellow-servants. There is no evidence of any delegation of authority by the company to the conductor which made him a vice-principal. Plaintiff’s counsel seek to avoid this rule by contending that it was the duty of the defendant to secure to its employes the right to perform their work in a manner reasonably safe, and that in recognition of this duty it adopted a rule' forbidding running switches when it is practicable to do the work without, and that plaintiff had no knowledge of this rule. The witnesses do not agree as to whether this was a running switch, but for the purposes of this case it must be assumed that it was. The conductor gave no signal to the engineer to go faster when the pin was drawn. The plaintiff testified he gave no signal. The conductor testified that the plaintiff cried out, “All right.” It is too clear to require discussion that the sudden starting of the engine and flat car was^ the proximate cause of the accident, and for this, according to plaintiff’s evidence, the engineer alone was responsible. He should not have started
Judgment affirmed.