J. M. Davis brought suit against the Southern Bailway Company in the city court of Atlanta, for damages on account of personal injuries alleged to have been received from the negligent operation of a train of the defendant. The petition was in two counts, each alleging the same facts, with the exception that the second count added that the train which struck defendant and caused his injuries was at the time engaged in interstate commerce. The defendant filed both a general and a special demurrer to the petition. The plaintiff amended by setting out more in detail the facts and acts of negligence alleged in the petition. The court, on hearing the demurrer, entered an order striking certain paragraphs of the petition, but overruled the general demurrer. The defendant excepted to the refusal to sustain the general demurrer and certain parts of the special demurrer, and the plaintiff, by cross-bill, excepted to the striking of certain parts of his petition.
1. The court did not err in overruling the general demurrer. The plaintiff alleged in his petition that he was a track foreman, and, as such, was charged with the duty of keeping in repair certain
It is contended that the petition does not set forth a cause of action, and that a recovery is barred because of the doctrine of assumed risks; that the plaintiff was engaged in a hazardous work, and that one of the risks incident to it was the risk attending the passing of trains along the track. Learned counsel for the,railway compan}' cite many cases and have presented to this court a very thorough and enlightening brief on the subject of assumed
2. It is insisted in the cross-bill of exceptions that the court erred in striking from the petition a rule of the railway company, pleaded as showing negligence, which provided, among other things, that “second-class and inferior trains must approach and run through yard limits under full control, expecting to find the main line occupied.” We think the court erred in striking this part of the petition. The plaintiff alleged, in connection with this allegation, that the train which caused his injury was a second-class train, and that it was being operated on the main line and within yard limits. He alleged also that it was not “under full control.” One of the causes of the injury was alleged to be negligent opera
3. It is also contended in the cross-bill of exceptions that the court erred in striking from the petition a rule “governing engineers,” alleged as bearing on the negligence of the defendant, which rule was as follows: “They must keep a constant and vigilant lookout, while running, for obstructions, defect of track, and signals.” This paragraph of the petition is followed by an allegation that “The engineer of said train failed to keep a constant lookout at said place.” It is not alleged that the failure of the engineer to observe this rule contributed in any way to the plaintiff’s injury, or that if the rule had been observed, the injury would not have occurred. There is nothing in the petition which in any way connects the injury with the violation of this rule, and we are of the opinion that the court did not err in striking this part of the petition.
4. It is contended that the court erred in striking from the petition allegations that it was customary for the defendant, when its trains met on double tracks, to ring the bell or blow the whistle
Judgment affirmed on the main bill of exceptions, and reversed on the cross-bill.
