Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/276/165/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 16:12:08+00:00

Document:
Plaintiff, while checking cars in a switching yard, was struck by a car shunted down the next track. While the space between the two tracks (in which he was standing) was sufficient to enable him to keep out of the way of moving cars, the danger attending his work would have been lessened if the space had been greater. The accident occurred at night. The cars moved at from four to six miles an hour; they were unlighted and unattended and, no one warned plaintiff of their approach. He knew that switching was being done. There was nothing to show that the ordinary practice was departed from. He brought suit under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, alleging that his injuries had been caused by the failure to maintain an adequate space between tracks and by the failure to warn him of the approach of the car.
1. The evidence is not sufficient to warrant a finding that defendant failed in any duty owed plaintiff in respect of the distance between tracks. Carriers, like other employers, have much freedom of choice in providing facilities and places for their employees, and courts will not prescribe the space to be maintained between tracks, nor leave such questions to the uncertain and varying opinions of juries. P. 276 U. S. 169.
2. In the absence of proof that plaintiff was exposed to some unusual danger by reason of a departure from the practice generally followed, it cannot be held that defendant was in duty bound to give warning by ringing the engine bell or otherwise. P. 276 U. S. 170.
and, when obvious or fully known and appreciated, the extraordinary risks and those due to negligence of his employer and fellow employees. On the evidence, it is held that plaintiff assumed the risk. P. 276 U. S. 171.
Certiorari, 273 U.S. 688, to a judgment of the Supreme Court of Missouri affirming a recovery of damages for personal injuries, in an action under the Federal Employers' Liability Act.
taken to the Supreme Court, where the judgment was affirmed. Allen v. Ross, 292 S.W. 732. This Court granted a writ of certiorari. 273 U.S. 688.
The yard where plaintiff was injured included a lead track and, connected with it, a number of parallel switch tracks, the centers of which were about 12 feet apart. Plaintiff had been regularly employed there as car checker for about 18 months, and his hours were from 11 in the evening to 7 in the morning. His work required him to be in the yard while switching was being done, and to go from place to place to check and list cars that had been switched and arranged on various tracks for the purpose of making up trains. At the time of the accident, he was checking a string of cars that had been placed on track 5, and was between it and track 4, about 125 yards from the lead. A switching crew was at work in the yard. The engine was on the lead attached to from 20 to 25 cars that were between it and switch 4. Two cinder cars were detached from the end, while the string of cars was being pushed by the engine. They were shunted by means of the switch to track 4, and by their own momentum moved to the place where plaintiff was struck. The yard was not artificially lighted. It was an ordinary starlight night, without moon. The shunted cars moved at moderate speed -- 4 to 6 miles per hour -- and made noise enough to be heard at a distance of one or two car lengths. They were unlighted and unattended, and no person warned plaintiff of their approach.
absence of negligence on the part of defendant. Seaboard Air Line v. Horton, 233 U. S. 492, 233 U. S. 502. And, except as specified in § 4 of the Act, the employee assumes the ordinary risks of his employment, and, when obvious or fully known and appreciated by him, the extraordinary risks and those due to negligence of his employer and fellow employees. Boldt v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 245 U. S. 441, 245 U. S. 445; Ches. & Ohio Ry. v. Nixon, 271 U. S. 218. If, upon an examination of the record, it is found that, as a matter of law, the evidence is not sufficient to sustain the essential findings of fact, the judgment will be reversed. C. M. & St. P. Ry. Co. v. Coogan, 271 U. S. 472, 271 U. S. 474.
knowledge of the situation and the dangers existing because of the narrow space between the tracks was at least equal to that chargeable against the defendant. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Aeby, 275 U. S. 426. The rule of law which holds the employer to ordinary care to provide his employees a reasonably safe place in which to work did not impose upon defendant an obligation to adopt or maintain any particular standard for the spacing or construction of its tracks and yards. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co. v. Groeger, 266 U. S. 521, 266 U. S. 529. Carriers, like other employers, have much freedom of choice in providing facilities and places for the use of their employees. Courts will not prescribe the space to be maintained between tracks in switching yards, nor leave such engineering questions to the uncertain and varying opinions of juries. Tuttle v. Detroit, G. H. & M. R. Co., 122 U. S. 189, 122 U. S. 194; Randall v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., 109 U. S. 478, 109 U. S. 482; Washington, etc., Railroad Co. v. McDade, 135 U. S. 554, 135 U. S. 570. Having regard to plaintiff's knowledge of the situation, it is clear that the evidence, when taken most favorably to him, is not sufficient to warrant a finding that defendant failed in any duty owed him in respect of the space between the tracks. Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. Aeby, supra. The court erred in submitting that question to the jury.
And see Rosney v. Erie R. Co., 135 F. 311, 315; Connelley v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 201 F. 54, 57. And there is no support for the assumption that plaintiff was without knowledge of the switching practice followed in that yard, or that the movement in question created an unusual hazard. On the evidence, it must be held that he knew how switching was done there, and, in the absence of proof that he was exposed to some unusual danger by reason of a departure from the practice generally followed, it cannot be held that defendant was in duty bound to give him warning. The members of the switching crew had a right to believe that he would keep out of the way of the shunted car. Aerkfetz v. Humphreys, supra.
In any event, plaintiff assumed the risk. He was familiar with the yard and the width of the space between the tracks, and knew that cars were liable to be shunted without warning to him. The dangers were obvious, and must have been fully known and appreciated by him. Boldt v. Pennsylvania R. Co., supra; Ches. & Ohio Ry.
v. Nixon, supra; Randall v. Baltimore & Ohio R. Co., supra; Tuttle v. Detroit, G. H. & M. R. Co., supra.
"saw, or by the exercise of ordinary care could have seen, plaintiff between said tracks and in a position of peril and oblivious thereof in time thereafter, by the exercise of ordinary care, with the means and appliances at hand, to have either held said cars stationary, or after having started said cars, stopped them, or slackened the speed thereof in time . . . to have avoided striking and injuring plaintiff, but that said . . . employees failed and neglected so to do."
Defendant requested the court to charge that plaintiff was not entitled to recover on that ground. The court refused and submitted the question to the jury.
for the starting and stopping of the engine in order to give them the desired impulse. He saw the lantern carried by plaintiff on the north side of the cars on track 5, and assumed that plaintiff was at work there. Plaintiff's son was the other switchman. He was on the north side near the middle of the string of cars, and received from the foreman and transmitted to the engineer the signals for the starting and stopping of the engine. He also saw plaintiff's lantern. Neither engineer nor fireman knew where plaintiff was. The mere fact that the foreman and plaintiff's son saw the lantern and knew that plaintiff was checking cars on track 5 is not sufficient. There is nothing to sustain a finding that plaintiff was in any danger other than such as was usually incident to his employment or that any member of the crew knew or had any reason to believe that he was oblivious of the situation. Illinois Central Railroad Co. v. Ackerman, 144 F. 959, 962. In the absence of knowledge on their part that he was in a place where he was liable to be struck and oblivious of that danger, they were not required to vary the switching practice customarily followed in that yard or to warn or to take other steps to protect him. There is no evidence to sustain the allegation that the other employees saw, or negligently failed to discover, plaintiff in a "position of peril and oblivious thereof." There was no foundation for a finding in favor of the plaintiff on that issue. Cf. Inland & Seaboard Coasting Co. v. Tolson, 139 U. S. 551, 139 U. S. 558-559; Grand Trunk Railway Co. v. Ives, 144 U. S. 408, 144 U. S. 429; Washington & Georgetown Rd. v. Harmon, 147 U. S. 571, 147 U. S. 581-583; Chunn v. City & Suburban Railway, 207 U. S. 302, 207 U. S. 309; Denver City Tramway Co. v. Cobb, 164 F. 41, 43; Kansas City Southern Ry. Co. v. Ellzey, 275 U. S. 236.

References: v. 
 v. 
 § 4
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 

v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.