The San Francisco call., 1908-07-16
HISTORY OF PERSONAL
INJURY CASES
l. PhiIfp

l. Philip vs. California
bridge and construction company-La-
borer in tunnel. Bakers beach. San
Francisco; age AZ years; shOckingly
mutilated, permanently injured on sep
tember 3, 1891; case tried on January
23. 1897; trial Judge grants nOnsuit;
appeal taken on January %, 1887; on
December 20. 1899. supreme court re-
verses lower court and orders retrial;
in the meantime plaintiff dies at city
and county hospital in deepest poverty.
where he had been confined for Ave
years and when case comes up for re-
trial plaintiff is dead. the defendant
corporation is bankrupt and defunct
and the cause is forever stricken from
the calendar. for it is the law in Cali
fornia that in a personal injury case
the cause Of action dies with the plain
tiff.
? Charles VS.. the United
Railroads, a poration-Carpenter. 35
years OF age: steadily employed: earn
ing S5 per day; aged mother and sister
depending upon him for support per-
manently injured by the cars OF the
United Railroads company June 5,
1906; case tried January 8, 1901; YER
diet for PLAINTIFF for $1,000; statement
of case on motion for a new trial not
yet settled; motion for new trial can
not be heard for two months, owing to
the pendency of court vacation and the
rule that contested matters are not
heard in vacation; defendant corpora
tion will have 80 days TO appeal from
order denying motion for a new trial,
if il be denied. and more than three
years will elapse before the plaintiff
realizes his judgment, should he be 50
fortunate.
occupation: AZ years of age; earned
$3.50 per day: steadily employed; wife
and four children depending upon him
for support; permanently injured by
falling of a effectively constructed
scaffold and unable to do any kind OF
manual labor; buying home on INSTALL
ment plan; in all probability will have
to part with home: education OF chi
dren will have to be abandoned; wife
will have to seek work TO support
family; between three and four years
will lapse before this craftsman can
obtain a final judgment; ease now pend
ing. but blocked BY the prevalence OF
court vacation
A. Charles VS.. the United
Railroads-Teamster; age 80 years; in
jured while passenger on car of the
United Railroads: one leg amputated at
hip. other left useless offered a small
sum by the United Railroads through
Mr.. Handlon. and told by Mr.. Handlon
that II he will not accept IL he might
as far as he viii ever get. This work
ingman has no relatives and will have
to spend the long period intervening
between fling his suit in the aims
house or as a beggar in our streets.
D. George Ordinary Ia
bOrer. 40 years of age; sober and indus
trious; wife and FIVE children. youngest
weeks old; killed by fall from scaf-
fold: should be a verdict OF at least
$4,000 in this case: accepted $500, as
she was destitute and could not endure
any delay.
s. Frank Thfrty-ene years
of age; broken back; has remained two
years in city and county hospital: case
pending for more than a year: not vet
set for trial; can not be set for two
months owing to court vacation.
I. Raymond Drug clerk:
age, 10 years; injured in collision. while
passenger on cars OF the United Rail-
roads. on the 31st day OF October 1907;
case filed December II, 1907; case not
set for trial up to present time. and
unable to have same set owing TO pen
dency of court vacation: this young
man was the only support of an invalid
mother and several sisters.
S. v. COSTELLO
San Francisco. July 9, 1908.