Case Name: THOMPSON ET AL. v. GREENVILLE TRACTION CO.
Court: Supreme Court of South Carolina
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Decision Date: 1921-06-30
Citations: 116 S.C. 444
Docket Number: 10669
Parties: THOMPSON ET AL. v. GREENVILLE TRACTION CO.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Carolina Reports
Volume: 116
Pages: 444–446

Head Matter:
10669
THOMPSON ET AL. v. GREENVILLE TRACTION CO.
(107 S. E. 911)
Carriers — Alighting Street Car Passenger, Who Stepped on Banana Peel in Street, Cannot Recover. — A public street in a city, at a point where a street car stops for passengers to alight, is not to ■ be regarded as a passenger station, in determining the duty of a street railway company towards its passengers, and a passenger, who stepped on a banana peel and fell, cannot recover.
Before Prince, J., Greenville, -, 1921.
Affirmed.
Action by Mrs. Margaret Thompson and A. R. Thompson against Greenville Traction Co. From order of non-suit plaintiffs appeal.
Messrs. Martin & Henry, for appellant,
cite: Defendant violated city ordinance which was■ negligence per se: 105 S. C. 129; 100 S. C. 114; 83 S. C. 354; 84 S. C. 536. Non-suit improper where there is any evidence tending to prove cause of action: 42 S. C. 466; 98 S. C. 129; 86 S. C. 231; 74 S. C. 89; 73 S. C. 522; 91 S. C. 541; 72 S. C. 256; 73 S. C. 430. Defendant had adopted street at this point for its station and is liable for its condition when used as such: 4 R. C. E. 1229; 48 E. R. A. (N. S.) 976; 132 N. W. 598 (Wis.;) 210 Mass. 66, 87 N. E. 192. Defendant liable for having banana peel on station platform: 161 111. Ap. 296; 140 S. W. 483; 208 Mass. 273, 94 N. E. 386. Plaintiff a passenger and .due the highest degree of care: 105 S. C. 485-6; 4 R. C. L. 1088; 36 L. R. A. (N. S.) 213; 64 So. 343 (Ala.); 83 S. W. 1001 (Mo.) ; 10. C. J. 625; 77 S. C. 435; 55 S. C. 393; 71'S. C. 543; 74 S. C. 332. Presumption of negligence arises from injury to passenger: 77 S. C. 436; 88 S. C. 97; 100. S. C. 40.
Messrs. Haynesworth & Haynesworth, for respondent,
cite: No presumption of negligence unless testimony shozvs injury to passenger was caused by some agency or instrumentality of carrier: 77 S. C 434 ; 83 S. C. 53; 85 S. C. 216; 78 S. C. 552; 84 S. C. 19; 88 S. C. 19; 5 A. & E. Ene. E. 624. Notice of impending danger must be brought home to carrier to make it liable for injiiry from outside causes: 74 S. C. 332; 47 E. R. A. 120. Public street is no't passenger station for which carrier is liable: 78 N. E. 854 (Mass.); 10 C. J. 913; 116 N. W. 373; 51 L. R. A. 885; 71 N. E. 780, 104 Am. St. Rep. 580; 38 Atl. 110 (Me.). Defendant not responsible for banana peel on platform: 60 N. E. 486 (Mass.); 65 N. Y. Supp. 271; 97 N. E. 624 (Mass.); 39 É. R. A. (N. S.) 419; 79 N. E. 1094; 103 N. Y. Supp. 721; 127 N. E. 66 (111.,) 10 A. E. R. 254; Note 10 A. E. R. 259 to 271. As to acts, instrumentalities and places not within exclusive control of carrier it owes passenger only ordinary care: 269 Fed. 231; 154 S. W. 16 (Ky.;) Ann. Cas. 1915B, 267; 106 N. Y. 678, 13 N. E. 455; 50 So. 62 (Ala.,) 135 Am. St. Rep. 153, 18 Ann. Cas. 772; 96 N. Y. Supp. 903; 168 Pac. 337 (Utah;) 18 N. E. 859 (N. Y.,) 2 E. R. A. 252; 82 Atl. 246 (Pa.;) Ann. Cas. 1913 B, 811; 184 Fed. 302, 1Q6 C. C. A. 445, 33 E. R. A. (N. S.) 532; 202 S. W. 632, 3 A. L. R. 637; 110 N. E. 962 (Mass.) Ann. Cas. 1918C, 371; 127 N. E. 66, 10 A. L. R. 254; 74 S. C. 332, 339; 84 S. C. 15, 19.
June 30, 1921.

Opinion:
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
Mr. Justice Cothran.
The plaintiff, Mrs. Thompson, a passenger upon the defendant's street car, slipped upon a banana peel and fell, sustaining personal injury, as she was alighting from the car at the Southern Railway Station in the city of Green-ville, the terminus of the line. The Circuit Judge ordered a non-suit upon the ground that there was no evidence tending to show negligence on the part of the defendant. His ruling is sustained upon the grounds stated by him. A public street in a city is not to be regarded as a passenger station, for the safety of which a street railway' company npay be responsible, when used by passengers as a place to alight.
The judgment of this Court is that the judgment of the Circuit Court be affirmed.