15 Utah 421 | Utah | 1897
This action was brought to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff through the alleged negligence of the defendant in failing to furnish a fireman in addition to the engineer to operate its engine, and in the engineer negligently failing to obey the signals given, while acting in the double capacity of engineer and fireman. The record shows that the plaintiff was a switchman in the employ of the defendant at the time of the accident. On the morning of the 11th day of August, 1892, about 1:15 o’clock, he was performing his duties as switchman, and, for the purpose of uncoupling them, went in between two cars of a freight train, which was standing upon a slight grade, so that the links were drawn tight. Being unable to uncouple them on account of the grade, he came out from between the cars, and with his lantern signaled the engineer, who performed the duties of fireman as well as engineer, to back up slowly, and then stepped in again between the cars to pull the pin the moment the slack came, and ‘stood with his back towards the engine and one hand upon the rung of the ladder on the car in front of him. The engineer saw and obeyed the signal, but the train came back with a jerk,
On the trial of the case Mr. Doughty was called as a witness for the plaintiff, and gave testimony tending to show that he was the engineer operating the engine at the time of the accident, and had been so employed for about one year; that he had been in the employ of the defendant company since 1885; that he was car inspector for the defendant the first year at Carlin; had worked as helper in the machine shops for several months; worked as fireman on the road for three years; again as repairer for several years at different points on the road; that it was his duty as helper to take care of the engines and fix them up, and prepare them to go out; since July, 1891, had charge of the switch engine, and run it at night; that his duty was to run the engine as engineer, and do the firing when needed. No fireman was furnished on the engine at the time of the accident. Thereupon the plaintiff asked the witness the folloAving question: “ Now, Mr. ■ Doughty, I want to ask you, in your opinion, in view of the work that had to be done in the Carlin yard, and was done there every day, and that was being done at the time of the accident, whether, in your opinion, it was necessary, for the safety of the employés, — switchmen and
As to the other question, it does not appear that the question was objected to as incompetent. Nor was there any objection made that the question did not embrace or embody all the facts upon which the question was predicated. It appears that the witness was shown to be competent to testify as an expert. Whether a witness is shown to be qualified to testify as to matters of opinion is a preliminary question for the trial judge to pass upon at the trial, and his discretion is conclusive unless manifestly erroneous as a matter of law. Railway Co. v. Novak, 9 C. C. A. 629.
We are of the opinion that no error was committed in admitting the testimony under the objection made.
Counsel for defendant asked a witness for the defendant the following questions: “ What is the population of Carlin? What proportion of the population of Carlin are railroad employes? Was there any special danger to any one other than those immediately connected with the making up of trains?” Each question was objected to as immaterial and irrelevant. The objections were sustained, and the defendant excepted. It is difficult to see wherein these questions were material or relevant. The first two had reference to the time of the trial. The hazard and danger to the plaintiff did not depend upon the