Citation Numbers: 67 Mich. 167
Judges: Campbell, Champlin, Morse, Sherwood
Filed Date: 10/13/1887
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 9/8/2022
Peter Marshall was killed by a knife flying out of a rapidly revolving shaper-head, the first time it was used as then arranged, and as soon as it reached its high
The testimony tended to show that the construction was novel in some respects. There was testimony tending to show that one of the differences between the shaper-head in question and others used before it was that in this the projecting knives, which were set in the solid body of the head, were set in parallel grooves, and were made with parallel surfaces, so that they were only held in place by the pressure of metal on metal, without shoulders, wedges, or any other device to hold them beyond friction; while in others there were such devices, by making the shank of the knife wedge-shaped, and thicker at the inner end than at the outer, or by some other device whereby the knife would be checked in its tendency to fly out of its socket.
The fact that a knife did fly out when fastened in as well as it was designed to be, and when the testimony indicated no imperfection in carrying out the design, had at least a tendency to prove that the design was bad. Never having been used again, there was nothing to indicate that it would have been any safer, or to overcome the proof that it had been
The law does not hold persons using machinery to any absolute duty of insuring its safety. It does, however, require some care in introducing untried novelties. That which has been approved as safe by reasonable experience may be presumed safe by those who rely on that experience to justify them in selecting it. But where the result of any defect must be-an immediate danger to human life, it devolves on those who expose human life to the dangers of a new experiment, which turns out badly, to show that they have followed such a course as the understood rules of science or mechanics applicable to such matters rendered safe according to ordinary probabilities. This machine was, according to some, at least, of the testimony, made in violation of known rules of mechanics, in trusting to mere pressure to overcome the centrifugal tendencies of a knife revolving at great velocity. It was devised by defendant on its own responsibility. Whatever view the jury might have taken of the matter, the questions presented were distinct questions of fact, and ought to have been submitted.
It certainly cannot be said as matter of law that the deceased contributed to the casualty by his negligence. He was not a trespasser, and the knife was just as likely to be thrown in one direction as another. No one could have supposed that where he stood was particularly dangerous.
As the argument naturally rested chiefly on the withdrawal of the case from the jury, the questions concerning the rejection of testimony were not as fully presented as they other
The judgment should be reversed, and a new trial granted.