Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-02-20
RAILWAYS auINso sY AccIoeNra
About ss.ooo.ooo . Year Raid In sstsi'
neat Of Suits For DemAges.

About o3,00o, 900 . Year EaAd In settie-
neat Of Suits For Damages.
Oneof the most popular of the suburban
railroads carrying passengers out Of New
York during the summer season went into
the hands Of receiver few days ago be-
cause there were pending against it dam
age suits to the amount OF S1,OOO, 900
arising from an accident on Labor day
an accident in which q number OF people
were killed. Not one CT the suits has yet
some to trial, but such Is the closeness
with which railroad earnings and expenses
are computed that the net earnings for
many years TO come would be bopelessiy
engulfed II only part Of the suits came
TO trial and II only q fraction Of the dam
aoes claimed was recovered In court.
When one reads Of 'terrible railroad
accident on some railroad line, an aooi-
dent ensailing loss of life and perhaps seri-
Gus injury to many. the circumstance is
lost sight Of that, after the doctors and
nurses have begun their work OF skili or
philanthropy, there como the lawyers
whose clients are to be settled with either
by cash compromise or as the result OF .
jury's decision, and juries, 1t Is well
known, are hardly ever partial to railroad
companies when private individuals are
suing for injuries sustained or for the loss
of Immediate relatives It Is for this rea-
son that q very serious accident sometimes
means the wreckage Of the finances OF q
railroad company. A few minutes neglect,
reoklessness or imprudence may cost, In
subsequent financial damage, years OF
labor.
Among railroad men the case Of the To
ledo, Peoria and Western Is familiar one.
In August, 1887, there was an accident at
Chatsworth, Ills, on the line, In which 100
persons were killed, and the litigation re-
sulting therefrom has kept the company
In the courts ever since. The Monon road,
running from Chicago to Louisville, is an
other sufferer In its finances from an aooi-
dent along the line, and the Ashtabula 40
oident on the Lake Shore railroad some
years ago involved that railroad in many
thousand dollars of loss. Railroads have
no reserve fund to meet the losses sustain.
ed through damage suits from accidents
A contrary opinion prevails especially
among litigants and jurors, who seem tc
act on the general proposition that railroad
corporations keep on hand large sum fol
such contingencies as an occasional acci
dent costing anywhere from $50, 600 tc
$500, 900.
The amount of money paid in settle
ment of damage suits by American rail
roads cannot be computed with any posi-
tiveness because it varies considerably
from year to year, while the condition o.
the railroads transporting passengers hal
much to do with 1t. When roads are IN
good condition, accidents involving loss o.
| life or serious bodily injury are rare; wheI
roads are in poor condition, such accidents
are frequent. The large systems Of tht
country, such as the New York Central
the Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul, thu
| Illinois Central and the Southern Pacific
| spend on an average in the settlement o.
damage suits about $3.50, GOO each, and thu
smaller railway companies bring up, prob
ably, the total amount paid to about S3,.
| 600, 900 in all.
Although the American railroads carry
| collectively In year 600, ZOO, 900 passsn
| gers, the number Of fatal accidents aver
| ages but about 300, and of injuries to pas
sengers about 5000, or killed for ever.
| 3, 900, 900 carried, and injured for everI
| 300, ,O0e. One of the amendments to tn,
| present New York state constitution adopt
| ed in 1894 (section 1S of article y dit
| away with the statutory power Of the leg
| islature to limit verdict for damages
! for injuries resulting in DEATH to $5, 600
| New York Sun.