Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-23
SUITS AGAINST CITY
PEOPLE WHO co TO LAW Foa DAM
AGES RECEIVED FROM FALLS.

The city appears in the courts at least
twice u wee, Is defendant in damage
salts brought by it, citizens. Time was
when tho city raid out in such damages
I4any thousands annually. The co-po-
rs.tiOn counsel systematized tho work Of
the Office Il few years ago end placed
such damage ruits in tho caro- Of a single
assistant. Since that time the special
knowledge IL the corporation counsel's
office has been considerable cna increas-
/ ing. 50 that tho Office les n minute &C
quaintance with the methods Of those
lawyers that bring damage suit5 against
the city
One result OF specializing tho work Of
the corporation counsels Office has been
marked decrease ia the annual ludg-
ments against tho city as the outcome OF
snits for damages. Tho whole amount Of
damages Paid by the city in the past four
years liIs been less than $4,000. There
have been many hundred suits brought
in that time. and the aggregate OF dam
I ages claimed has reached Cs.OOO,COo.
Only small percentage Of these E-its
are successful and in few or none dotho
plaintiffs recover tho amount claimed.
The city fights nearly every ease that is
brought AID seldom compromises sCit
unless the justice of the plaintiff case Is
of the plainest character.
There are many lawyers who make it
their business to seek out persons who
meet with accidents and Urgc them TO
\ bring suits for damages. II il believed
\ In the corporation counsel's Office that
there has not yet developed Il class OF
lawyers who make Il speciality of such
suits against the city. though such spc-
cializaticn il Il tendency of the present
time. When IN accident of sufficient
Importance TO get into the newspapers
occurs. the victim or victims received
almost immediately communications
somewhat in this fashion:
we have learned of tho painful and
serious accident that befcll you yestcr-
day. and we write TO assure You Of our
sympathy in your affection and to say
that we are ready to do all III our power
to aid you IN recovering damages from
the responsible parties for the wrong yol
have undoubtedly suffered"
The signature il that of q lawyer or n
firm Of lawyers making n speciality Of
accident cases Surprisingly respectable
names are attached to such letters. and
IN many instances the victim Of the Gcci-
dent seeks the advice of some one of tho
lawyers that send such communications
BY way OF making all things sure. some
lawyers have in their pay nurses and
other attendants in hospitals to which
persons suffering from Tie results Of &c
cidcn;s are usually taken.
In u recent ease 80 or 20 agents Of &c
cidcn, lawyers applied 70 see patient
ut n hospital ON the day following his
mishap Many hundreds Of such suits
are brought against the city every year,
aud perhaps half Of these instituted como
to trial The city seldom loses on FIRST
trial and VIXEN il docs usually CppcGl1
the ease. The Office Of the corporation
counsel Is extremely sl;epticCl rs 10 tic
Justice of such claims. anl there is 4
strong suspicion that litigation Of the
kind Is melted by lawyers who hope 10
profit by H. and that many case are
brought with full knowledge on the part
Of claimant ard counsel that the claim
Is gruundless The counsel in many in.
stances discontinued the cases VIXEN
claimants are unable or unwillin. TO I'D.
vance money 10 meet preliminary OK.
peilscs Nearly I'll srch eases are rEGeG,
taken upaa contingent fees. and II:
share uf the lawyer IL commonly EGlf Of
the amount recovered
Many cases arise every winter from
injuries received by persons who f-l
upon ICY pavements. The Drooalya
bridge was Ion; tie fruitful source Of
damage snitS against the two cities. cr:i
the legislature passed LIST year lev
making the bridge trustees responsible
for such damages The raost conspicu
ous case of late years was that of Mar
gharita Melneke. who asked 81. coo dam
ages for injuries received on the bridge
She received Il verdict for the fui
nmunnt. but on appeal this verdict va.
reversed Que Page received verdict
Of $4,000 for injuries ii IN accident TO I
bridge train This was cat down e
el0.O0O ON appeal. ard the city finally
paid him something less,
a common ground of action is ccci
dents caused by inequality in the Gag
ging or iaycments. The climate Of New
York makes sucS inequalities unayoid
able. aud the city solicitors Office conf
IDENTIFY expects considerable number o.
snch suits every year. Many other ease
grow out Of broken pavcments and cross
walks, 1t is not unusual for suits 10 b,
instituted by persons who slip upon ba
mana peels and the like. The effort o.
the counsel IN such eases II to prove tha
the paveneiG NJ the scene of the aeci
dent was defective. The corpo-atio,
connsels Office. however. usually man
ages to End some ono who was present
VI the scene of the accident and is sblt
10 show that there was 10 defect in th.
pavement. The office leeps q watch up
on such accidents rs AFRO likely To resul
IN damage suits. sad IS soon as "a salt i
! begun the Office sends ont IN agent &
look mp the facts IN the case and especial
yto examine the scene Of the accident
The assistant who is TO represent N,
corporation counsel Z; the trial usually
visits the scene Of tho accident ant
makes himself thoroughly acquaintet
with the conditions then prevailing
, New York sun.
In rural England the blosSoming twiSs o
willow which our children call pussy vii
lows" are often used in churches ON Pain
Sunday as the only available brauche
which lave set Begun to show proofs OF 10
turning Lille