Court Opinion

ID: 9828609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-01 18:33:18.535163+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:42:51.040252
License: Public Domain

On Motion for Rehearing.
Further consideration of this case on appellant’s motion for a rehearing leads us to the conclusion that we erred in affirming the judgment of the county court. We discover that there is absolutely no evidence in the record showing or tending to show that the oil which it is alleged injured and killed appellee’s cattle was poisonous, or otherwise of such a character as would, when drank, result in their injury or death. The point is made that, without proof that such would probably be the effect of drinking the oil, the verdict is not supported by the evidence. We believe this is the correct view of the matter. It cannot be said, we believe, that it is a matter of common knowledge that the character of oil which escaped from the pipes of appellant would, if drank by an animal, have the effect to injure or kill it; hence the county court nor this court can. judicially know that such would be its effect-
We are further of the opinion that the evidence, without contradiction, discloses that one of the cattle alleged to have been killed by drinking the oil in question, and for the value of which appellee recovered judgment, died before the oil escaped from appellant’s' pipe, and of course in such case appellant was not responsible for its death. This might be corrected by requiring a remittitur, or by reforming the judgment; but the case, for the reason above indicated, would have to be reversed and remanded anyway.
Appellant’s motion for rehearing is therefore granted, and the judgment of the court below is reversed, and the cause remanded for a new trial.