DocketNumber: Appeal, No. 360
Citation Numbers: 261 Pa. 422, 104 A. 665, 1918 Pa. LEXIS 757
Judges: Frazer, Mestrezat, Moschzisker, Potter, Walling
Filed Date: 6/3/1918
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 10/19/2024
Opinion by
Plaintiff was injured by one of defendant’s cars at a street crossing in the City of Philadelphia, and sued to recover damages. The trial judge submitted to the jury the questions of negligence and contributory negligence, and from a verdict and judgment for plaintiff, defendant appealed, assigning for errors the refusal of the court to give binding instructions in its favor and subsequent refusal to enter judgment non obstante veredicto.
On November 5, 1915, between eight and nine o’clock in the evening, plaintiff alighted from a northbound car on 22d street at the south side of Erie avenue at the intersection of 22d street, Schuyler street, Erie avenue and Hunting Park avenue, crossed Erie avenue to the north
The general rule in cases of this character is that while
Defendant relies upon a line of- cases represented by Flynn v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co., 234 Pa. 335; Cunningham v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., 240 Pa. 194, and Wolf v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., 252 Pa. 448. The facts in those cases, however, distinguish them from the case now before us. In the case first cited the accident occurred in daytime almost immediately as plaintiff stepped upon the track. In the Cunningham case the accident also occurred in daytime and, as was stated in the opinion of the court (pages 196, 197), the only
It cannot be said in the case now before us that the only reasonable inference to be drawn from the circumstances clearly demonstrated that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence; the question accordingly was for the jury: Young v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co., supra.
Appellant further contends the circumstances of the accident showed plaintiff’s account, in view of the place and position of his body when found, described impossible conditions, hence defendant’s version of the place where the accident occurred was the true one, and conclusively demonstrated no negligence on the part of the motorman. The jury found this question in favor of plaintiff, however, and it cannot be said that plaintiff’s account was so impossible as to warrant setting aside their finding as not being supported by evidence. Under plaintiff’s theory of the case he must have been carried on the fender of the car for a distance of 165 feet. There is nothing so clearly impossible in this as to justify us in holding as matter of law that it could not have occurred. Neither is the fact that plaintiff was found on the right-hand side of the track, rather than on the left, conclusive as to his exact location when struck by the car, since, if carried on the fender for such a distance and around a curve to the left, his position would not necessarily remain the same as that occupied by him immediately following the contact, and a reasonable inference might readily, follow that the momentum and the overhang of the front of the car in rounding the curve to
The assignments of error are overruled and the judgment affirmed.
Schaeffer v. Reading Transit Co. , 302 Pa. 220 ( 1930 )
Ingraham v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. , 1923 Pa. Super. LEXIS 254 ( 1923 )
Clark v. Pittsburgh Railways Co. , 314 Pa. 404 ( 1934 )
Lowry Rodgers Co. v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. , 1927 Pa. Super. LEXIS 294 ( 1927 )
Thompson v. Reading Transit Co. , 1931 Pa. Super. LEXIS 251 ( 1930 )
Lesutis v. Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. , 120 Pa. Super. 63 ( 1935 )