Court Opinion

ID: 9597499
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 00:59:23.160839+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:38.157205
License: Public Domain

McMurray, Judge,
concurring specially.
Plaintiffs decedent in this wrongful death action was killed in a train-auto collision at a railroad crossing. The decedent’s truck approached a railroad crossing where the warning lights and bell indicated an approaching train. Decedent, whose view was obstructed by railroad cars parked on a side track, pulled onto the track and was killed when the train crashed into his truck.
In order to neutralize the evidence of contributory negligence on the part of plaintiffs decedent, plaintiff attempted to show that the warning devices at the crossing had repeatedly malfunctioned in warning of approaching trains, when, in fact, there were no approaching trains. Such evidence, if accepted as true by the jury, might raise an inference in their minds that the decedent reasonably believed the fact that the warning lights and bells had been activated did not necessarily indicate that a train was approaching. I agree with the majority that such an inference would be crucial to determining the amount, if any, of the decedent’s negligence.
Attention is called to the fact that although the plaintiffs witness was not permitted to answer the question, "Have you ever known those signals to be defective in any way?” this very same witness, nine questions later, gave an answer which was partially not reponsive to the particular question asked whereby he testified: "... 7 have heard them ring when there wouldn’t *823be no train coming. ” (Emphasis supplied.) Hence, testimony as to whether or not the signals were ever defective was placed in evidence. Objection was again made, but the trial court never ruled on the objection, and this testimony was never stricken.
Furthermore, another witness for the plaintiff, over objection, was allowed on direct examination to respond on the same subject matter. Plaintiffs counsel asked this particular witness, "Have you ever heard the bells ring and the lights flash when there was no train there?” The witness responded, "Yes, I have.” On further direct examination the following questions were propounded and answers elicited: Q. "When you observed that condition what did you do, if anything? A. One particular time I called the railroad in Fitzgerald collect and told them they were out of order . . . they were working when there was no train there. Q. Do you know if they did anything as a result of that call? A. They came and fixed it.”
Since this testimony as to whether or not the signals were ever defective was later placed in evidence and the rules of objection violated, I concur in the judgment.