Court Opinion

ID: 9811254
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:14:27.933863+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:11:00.907598
License: Public Domain

Brown, J., dissenting.
As I have utterly failed, after earnest effort, to evolve from the evidence in this case any rational theory of negligence ujpon the part of the defendant or its servants, I am unable to concur in the judgment of the court.
As I understand the law, the party who affirms actionable negligence must establish it by proof sufficient to satisfy reasonable minds. The evidence must show more than the mere probability of a negligent act. Moreover, if the injury complained of may have resulted in one of two different ways, or from one of two different causes, for one of which the defendant is liable, but not for the other, the plaintiff *544cannot recover. Neither can be recover if it is just as probable that the injury was caused by the one as by the other. This principle is formulated from the text-writers and numerous adjudications and is an accepted doctrine in the law of negligence. It has also been repeatedly held that when liability depends upon carelessness or -fault of a person, or his agents, the right -of recovery depends upon the same being shown by competent evidence, and it is encumbent upon the plaintiff to furnish evidence to show how and why the accident occurred, some fact or facts by which it can be determined by the jury, and not left entirely to conjecture, guess or random judgment, upon mere supposition. C. & C. R. R. v. Heath, 103 Va., 66; R. R. v. Sparrow, 98 Va., 630; R. R. v. Cromer, 99 Va., 163, and cases there cited
If it is just as probable from the evidence that the injury was the result of one cause as another, the plaintiff cannot recover. Grant v. R. R., 133 N. Y., 657; Searles v. Mfg. Co., 101 N. Y., 661.
The Court of Appeals of Kentucky formulates the rule in these words: “When the question is one of negligence or no negligence, it is well settled law that where the -evidence is equally consistent with either view, the existence or nonexistence of negligence, the court should not submit the case to the jury, for the party affirming the negligence has failed to prove it.” Gas Co. v. Kaufman, 48 S. W., 439. To the same effect are Thompson on Negligence, p. 364, and Labatt on Master and Servant, vol. 2, sec. 836.
The latter writer says there must be a juridical connection between the master’s negligence and the injury, the burden of proving which is on the servant; also, that “the plaintiff must introduce testimony to show that the injury is more naturally to be attributed to the negligence of the defendant than to any other cause.”
The English courts uniformly hold that where plaintiff’s evidence is equally consistent with the absence as with the *545existence of negligence, there can be no recovery. Cotton v. Wood, 98 E. C. L., 566.
An employer of labor is not an insurer against injury. The servant assumes such risks as are naturally incident to the work he engages to do. The master is required to provide only against dangers that can reasonably be expected and not against the consequences of accidents that may or may not happen. Williams v. Railroad, 119 N. C., 746.
The evidence of the plaintiff himself is all that throws any light upon this occurrence, and his version discloses an accident, pure and simple, either “an event from an unknown cause,” or “an unusal and unexpected event from a known cause,” a “chance casualty.” The plaintiff had entire charge of the work of coaling and watering defendant’s engine. He had three laborers under his control. Two of them, by plaintiff’s direction, were engaged in throwing coal from a coal car into the coal bin of the tender of an engine, which is in the forward part of the tender. The coal car was alongside the tender and only a few feet from the coal bin in it. At the time of the occurrence plaintiff was on the ground at the rear of the tender, stooping down fixing a water hydrant, and while so engaged a piece of coal struck plaintiff and injured him. At the time this happened the coalers were knee deep in the coal car throwing coal into the forward part oí a tender, probably twenty-five feet long, while plaintiff was at its extreme rear end. Plaintiff did not notify the coalers where he was or what he was doing. As much stress is laid on the fact that the coalers knew that plaintiff was “around there somewhere” at the time of the injury, I quote plaintiff’s evidence: “And they knew that you were around about there somewhere; did not know where you were?” Answer: “No, sir, I don’t think they knew right then where I was.” “You knew where they were?” “Yes, sir.” It being admitted that the coalers did not know where the boss was when the chunk of coal was thrown, which it is *546claimed bit him, it was not their duty to keep a lookout for him. It was his duty to keep a lookout for them, or to apprise them of his whereabouts. He was “foot loose” and knew exactly what his men were doing. On the contrary, they were standing knee deep in a coal car, all their attention necessarily rivetted on their work and straining every muscle to load the heavy coal into the tender. They could not do their work and look out for the boss. He could easily look out for them and keep out of danger. If such coaler had to stop and ascertain the whereabouts of the boss before throwing each shovelful of coal, they would have made such slow time on the loading up that the boss would have soon discharged them to save his own head. If, then, it was not the duty of the coalers-to keep up with the whereabouts of the boss, but was his duty to keep a lookout himself, then the coalers have been guilty of no negligence in that respect. If it had been shown that at the very time the lump of coal was thrown, which it is claimed hit the plaintiff, the man throwing it had actual knowledge of plaintiff’s position and situation, there might be something in plaintiff’s contention that the lump was recklessly thrown. But plaintiff himself distinctly acquits the men of any knowledge of his then whereabouts. ,
The evidence is fatally defective because it fails to show how or why the piece of coal fell on plaintiff’s head. Plaintiff distinctly states that he did not see either man throw it, and further testified as follows: “You don’t know whether it came directly from the shovel onto your head, or whether it went up on the tender and rolled off ¶” Answer: “No, sir.” “Nor whether it struck the tender and fell off ?” Answer: “That is the information I had.” “I am talking about what you know.” “No, I don’t know.” “You just simply'know that a piece of coal fell down and hit you on the head ?” “Yes, sir.” It is contended that this quotation from the record contains evidence that a lump of coal hit *547the side of the tender and ricoehetted and struck plaintiff. It ought not to require an argument to show that such evidence is not “direct evidence” that the lump of coal hit the tender and glanced off. The plaintiff states positively that he does not know it, but that Ms information was it struck the tender and fell off. Although this came out before objection could be made and was not stricken from the record, it surely cannot be called “evidence of a fact.” It does not even amount to the dignity of hearsay evidence, for plaintiff does not state who told him so. Had he named his informer, a definite statement of an ascertained person would have been before the jury, although not made under oath, and would have been competent unless objected to. As it is, the statement has no probative force, and is of no sort of value as evidence. Suppose, however, that during the process of loading the tender a piece of coal did strike its side and glance off, or landed on top and failing to stick, rolled off, that does not prove negligence. Loading coal is rough and heavy work, and there is no suggestion that the men doing it were not fully competent for the purpose. They could not be expected to handle coal and load a tender with that care and delicacy usually employed in placing eggs in a basket. A piece of coal may have fallen short of the mark and still the coaler may have used reasonable care in throwing it. It is no evidence that he did not. Common observation teaches that it is something usually incident to loading from one car to another, and no one was in position to know this better than the plaintiff, whose business it was to load tenders. Any one who has noticed the loading of a wagon from a brick kiln or the unloading of corn into a barn doubtless saw some bricks and ears of corn fall short of their destination. Short throws are frequently “accidents that will happen in the best regulated families.” But I cannot see how it is possible that the lump could have hit the side of the tender, and, glancing off sideways, struck the plaintiff more than eight *548feet distant. I can see bow it may have landed on top of the pile in the tender and rolled off, but that surely would be no evidence of negligence. It is suggested that it was negligence to have undertaken to throw a hundred pound lump the distance between the coal car and the tender. Why? Obviously from the lack of strength in the thrower. If it struck the tender with sufficient force to ricochet it as far as the rear end of the tender where' the plaintiff then was, there was no lack of strength in the brawny arms that threw it.' Had the throw been a weak one, the lump would have struck the tender and sunk straight to the ground. Spent balls do not ricochet. If the coaler threw the lump with sufficient force to land it in the tender and accidentally missed the mark, he did what many a marksman has done before. None of us can always hit the mark we aim at. Erom the very character of the operation it is no evidence of negligence that one lump of coal should happen to land on the ground out of a whole carload. It is hardly possible for the coaler to have thrown the lump directly on the plaintiff, as the coaler was throwing into the front of the long tender and the plaintiff was .at the extreme rear end, and at an angle of nearly forty-five degrees from the coaler. It is hardly possible for a man of average strength to throw a hundred pound lump the distance with sufficient force to make it ricochet from the front of the tender to its rear. Therefore, those theories are worth but little. They are highly improbable, much less probable. Erom all the circumstances in evidence, considering especially the plaintiff’s position at the very rear end of the tender, there are two rational theories by which the accident can be accounted for and both are inconsistent with any charge of culpable negligence. One theory is that the coaler threw the lump on top of the coal pile in the tender and that it failed to find lodgment and rolled off the rear end. This is consistent with the plaintiff’s “information,” namely, that the lump struck the tender and “fell off.” I am unable to *549find in the record a scintilla of evidence that the lump struck “outside and below the rail.” Erom the use of the words “fell off” one would naturally infer the coal landed on the tender’s coal pile and rolled off. If so, that is no evidence of negligence. The other theory is that the coaler threw a lump which accidentally struck another lump, which, being dislodged, rolled off the rear end of the tender on the plaintiff. If so, this would he no evidence of negligence. It is contended “that if the coalers threw the coal in the first instance back on the water tank where it was likely to roll off it would be an act of negligence.” There is no evidence of this, and the probability is entirely against the theory, because the coalers were opposite the front end of the tender, nearest the coal bin, and at a considerable angle from the water tank. The distance was so short between the car and the tender that they could hardly have thrown the coal so far sideways. It is further said, “if the coalers continued to pile coal on the forward part of the tender, where it belonged, until it was even with or above the top of the tender so that the coal was likely to roll off, etc., it would he negligence to do this without warning plaintiff.” In the first place one may search the record with closest scrutiny and not find a suggestion of evidence to support such hypothesis. If it had been true, the plaintiff doubtless would have made it known. In the second place the coalers, according to the plaintiff’s own statement, did not know where the plaintiff was, and, as 1 have undertaken to show, it was not their duty to know, engaged as they were under his control in most engrossing work. In the third place, it was the coalers’ duty to continue to throw coal and load the tender until plaintiff ordered them to stop. It was for the boss, not the men, to ’say when the job was completed, as he was responsible for its proper performance. Of course all these theories are purely speculative conjectures, and that is all there is in the plaintiff’s case. I have discussed them with a view to showing that in *550the domain of probabilities the, preponderance is largely with, instead of against, defendant’s contention, that there is no sufficient evidence of negligence. As a last resort, the rule which an eminent lawyer recently called “the overworked doctrine of res ipsa loquitur” is invoked to help out, if possible, the plaintiff’s feeble case. Mr. Wigmore, in his valuable work, says that the rule has spread rapidly in the United States, “although with much looseness of phrase and indefiniteness of scope.” “What its final accepted shape will be can hardly be predicted. But the following consideration ought to limit it.” One who reads those considerations will conclude that the learned author would be amazed to know the rule could be applied in a case like this, where the origin of the injury is involved in so much doubt. Wigmore on Evidence, vol. 4, sec. 2509. If there is nothing in the way of substantive evidence to take this case to the jury, and it is to go there solely upon the principle of res ipsa loquitur, then the court is giving to the rule the force and effect of a presumption of a prima facie case. This is contrary to Womble’s case and Stewart's case in our own reports. The mere fact of an accident has never yet been held sufficient to impose a liability for negligence. There must be something in the circumstances surrounding the case tó take the case out of this rule before “the facts can speak for themselves.” As is said in Toomey v. Steel Works: “This is founded in reason and common sense.” 89 Mich., 249. It is held in many cases that as between master and servant the mere fact that the servant is injured while in his employ is not prima facie negligence and is no evidence of negligence. R. R. v. Houch, 77 Ill., 287; Kuhns v. R. R., 70 Iowa, 561; Elevator Co. v. Neal, 65 Md., 438, and cases cited in these opinions. In the case of Steel Co. v. Shields, 146 Ill., 607, the plaintiff was injured by the falling of a mould on him. The court says: “In an action of this character it is necessary to aver and prove negligence on the part of the defendant, and if the *551record disclosed the fact that the plaintiff merely proved the falling of the mould and the injury the jugdment could not be sustained.” In the case at bar nothing has been proved except that a lump of coal fell on the plaintiff at a place eight feet distant, and to the side of where the coalers were at work. What caused it to fall is pure conjecture. I say with deference it is a dangerous and unwarranted extension of the rule, res ipsa loquitur, to apply it under such circumstances. This court did not apply it in Carter's case, 129 N. C., 203, or in Raiford’s case, 130 N. C., 597, both much stronger cases than this for its application. There seems to be sometimes a difference in the application of the rule in favor of a passenger or stranger and where the relation of employer and employee exists. The Supreme Court of Massachusetts says in this connection: “No general rule can be laid down, that the mere occurrence of an accident is or is not sufficient proof of an actionable negligence; for each case must depend upon its own circumstances; and what would be sufficient proof of such negligence in an action brought against a railway company by a passenger, or by a stranger, might not be so in an action brought by one of its servants.” The authorities cited in behalf of the application of the rule in a case like this do not sustain the contention. Shearman & Redfield, sec. 59, apply the rule only to cases where “the surrounding circumstances contain without further' proof sufficient evidence of defendant’s duty and of his neglect to perform it.” Mr. Labatt, sec. 843, says: “Its essential import is that on the facts proved the plaintiff has made out a prima facie case without direct proof of negligence.” In all the cases cited on behalf of the plaintiff the evidence established a direct juridical connection between tire injury and the originating cause which set in motion that which caused the injury, as in the case of the coal dropping from a cranky bucket, or from the tender of a flying train, or the falling of the cross tie from a passing car. But in this case there is *552no evidence as to what started the movement of the lump of coal which fell on the plaintiff, as there is not one shred of evidence to show that it was thrown on the plaintiff by the coalers. There is no suggestion that the coalers threw the lump on the plaintiff purposely, and I think I have shown from the position of the plaintiff it could not well have been done accidentally, Howser v. Railroad, 80 Md., 154, is cited as an authority for the plaintiff. An examination of the facts in that case show that they are not at all similar to this case and that the case is worth but little in support of the plaintiff’s contentions. But if it were an analogous case as to facts, it is greatly weakened as an authority by the very forcible dissenting opinion of Judge McSherry, concurred in by another member of the court.
In conclusion it can be justly said that taking all the facts in this case, of which there is any substantive evidence, and putting them together, they do not tend to prove a single definite act of negligence, or neglect of duty, upon the part of the defendant’s servants, the two coalers. The language of Adams, J., in Allen v. Banks, 39 N. Y. Sup., 1017, is to my mind peculiarly applicable. “This case was tried upon the theory that it was only necessary to prove the occurrence of the accident, and its physical consequences to the plaintiff in order to establish a cause of action against the defendant: It is singularly destitute of any evidence which will furnish a satisfactory explanation of the particular cause which produced the injury complained of.”