Opinion ID: 877076
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: APPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL SAFETY APPLIANCE ACT: Procedural Background

Text: In that portion of the pretrial order setting forth plaintiff's contentions, plaintiff simply alleged that defendant violated the Safety Appliance Act (45 U.S.C. § 1-16) in providing a car with a defective handbrake. Defendant, on the other hand, had several contentions in the pretrial order pertaining to its defense of the case. It alleged first that the cars were not in use on defendant's line at the time of the accident. Second, it alleged that plaintiff's injuries were not caused by a defective handbrake or, by a failure of a handbrake to perform properly and efficiently on the occasion in question when used in a normal, ordinary and proper operation. Third, it argued that plaintiff's injuries were caused by his negligence in failing to properly set a handbrake or by improperly setting the handbrakes on the remaining cars. Fourth, it alleged that plaintiff had assumed the risk of his injuries (although this contention was withdrawn at the time jury instructions were settled.) Fifth, the railroad asserted that there is no evidence that any of the handbrakes on any of the cars were defective. Initially, we note that the defendant did not assert during settlement of jury instructions, nor does it assert here, that the Safety Appliance Act is inapplicable because the railroad cars were not in use on defendant's line at the time plaintiff sustained his injuries. We assume, therefore, that defendant has abandoned this contention. Furthermore, in Jenkins v. Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad (1972), 5 Ill. App.3d 954, 284 N.E.2d 392, a case remarkably similar to the facts here, the Court ruled that the cars, although on a siding, that was leased to the plaintiff's employer, were in operation on defendant's railroad line. We hold also, that defendant cannot defeat application of the Act because the cars were on a siding, even though the carloading operations on the siding were handled by Ksanka Lumber Company.