Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/350/523/
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 01:45:23+00:00

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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 350 › Schulz v. Pennsylvania R. Co.
On the record in this case, a suit under the Jones Act to recover for the death of a tugboat fireman who disappeared while working at night on four unlighted, icy, and undermanned tugboats and whose drowned body was found later partly clothed and clutching a flashlight, the evidence was sufficient to go to the jury on the issues of whether respondent was negligent in failing to provide the deceased with a safe place to work and whether such negligence was the proximate cause of his death, and the trial court erred in directing a verdict for respondent. Pp. 350 U. S. 523-527.
"the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any Court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law. [Footnote 4]"
Jones v. East Tennessee, V. & G. R. Co., 128 U. S. 443, 128 U. S. 445 (1888).
In this case, petitioner is entitled to recover if her husband's death resulted "in whole or in part" [Footnote 5] from defendant's negligence. Fair-minded men could certainly find from the foregoing facts that defendant was negligent in requiring Schulz to work on these dark, icy and, undermanned boats. And reasonable men could also find from the discovery of Schulz' half-robed body with a flashlight gripped in his hand that he slipped from an unlighted tug as he groped about in the darkness attempting to perform his duties. [Footnote 6] But the courts below took this case from the jury because of a possibility that Schulz might have fallen on a particular spot where there happened to be no ice, or that he might have fallen from the one boat that was partially illuminated by shore lights. Doubtless the jury could have so found (had the court allowed it to perform its function), but it would not have been compelled to draw such inferences. [Footnote 7] For "[t]he very essence of its function is to select from among conflicting inferences and conclusions that which it considers most reasonable." [Footnote 8] Factfinding does not require mathematical certainty. [Footnote 9] Jurors are supposed to reach their conclusions on the basis of common sense, common understanding, and fair beliefs, grounded on evidence consisting of direct statements by witnesses or proof of circumstances from which inferences can fairly be drawn.
Bailey v. Central Vermont R. Co., 319 U. S. 350, 319 U. S. 354.
For a discussion of the right to trial by jury under the Seventh Amendment, see Galloway v. United States, 319 U. S. 372, and cases there cited.
Johnson v. United States, 333 U. S. 46.
Lavender v. Kurn, 327 U. S. 645, 327 U. S. 653.
Considerations that I have heretofore spelled out govern me in the conviction that the writ in this case should be dismissed as improvidently granted. McAllister v. United States, 348 U. S. 19, 348 U. S. 23; Carter v. Atlanta & St. A.B. Ry. Co., 338 U. S. 430, 338 U. S. 437; Cahill v. New York, N.H. & H. R. Co., 350 U.S. 898; Anderson v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 350 U.S. 807; Swafford v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co., 350 U.S. 807; Moore v. Chesapeake & O. Ry. Co., 340 U. S. 573, 340 U. S. 578; Affolder v. New York, C. & St.L. R. Co., 339 U. S. 96, 339 U. S. 101. See Frankfurter and Landis, The Business of the Supreme Court, 206 et seq.

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