Court Opinion

ID: 6429681
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-06-25 12:07:04.091212+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:52:08.331471
License: Public Domain

Hammond, J.
Whatever may be thought of the conduct of the plaintiff in leaving his horse at a place immediately adjoining the railroad track, where he must have known that trains might approach at any time, when he might have selected a safer place, we think that the ruling that the plaintiff could not recover should stand upon the ground that the accident is not shown to have been due to any negligence of the defendant.
The plaintiff seems to rely upon the speed of the train as showing negligence, but it is not shown that the speed as such was unusual. If it be contended that it was faster than allowed by the regulations approved by the railroad commissioners and that this fact of itself is evidence of negligence, the answer is that these regulations were made for the safety of the trains and they in no respect altered or affected the duty owed to one in the situation of the plaintiff. Moreover it is the merest conjecture whether the speed of the train had anything whatever to do with the accident. The plaintiff also complains of the noise of the train, but trains always make noise, and there is no evidence that this train made any more noise than may be reasonably expected of such a train, much less that the noise was due to any negligent act of the defendant.
As to the contention of the plaintiff that he had the right to go to the jury on the question of the negligence of the defendant in the matter of fences and barriers, the answer is that in so far as this contention is based upon the statute requiring fences *38and barriers to be put up along the line of the railroad, the statute was intended only for the protection of adjoining owners; Pub. Sts. c. 112, § 115; R. L. e. Ill, § 120; Byrnes v. Boston & Maine Railroad, 181 Mass. 322, and cases there cited ; and in so far as it rests upon other grounds there is no evidence of negligence. Such an arrangement of track and freight yards is of common occurrence in the country.

Judgment on the verdict.