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GILBERT A. FLYGEN v. CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL RAILWAY COMPANY

Minnesota Supreme Court1911-07-14No. Nos. 17,134—(147)
115 Minn. 197

Summary

Holding. The judgment was affirmed. The jury was properly permitted to find the railroad negligent for failing to maintain required safety gates and a watchman, the plaintiff's reliance on their absence did not constitute negligence as a matter of law, and the dismissal of a claim against one defendant did not make the case removable to federal court.

A railroad worker was struck by a train at a Minneapolis street crossing on the evening of October 11, 1909, suffering severe head injuries and broken collar bones. The defendant railroad company was required by city ordinance to maintain safety gates and a watchman at the crossing during specified hours, but the gates were up and no watchman was present when the plaintiff approached. The plaintiff looked both directions before crossing, saw no train initially, but was struck after proceeding onto the tracks.

The court determined the facts supported a jury finding that the railroad failed to comply with the ordinance requiring operational gates and a watchman. Although the plaintiff's line of sight was clear and he could have seen an approaching train if he had looked more carefully, he was entitled to rely on the visible absence of the gates and watchman as indicating no immediate danger. The question of whether the plaintiff exercised ordinary care under these circumstances was properly submitted to the jury, and the jury's verdict and damage award were reasonable given the severity of his injuries.

The defendant also challenged the case on procedural grounds, claiming fraudulent joinder when the plaintiff was unable to prove an allegation against one of the named engineers. The court rejected this argument, holding that failure to establish a claim against one defendant does not render the case removable to federal court simply because another defendant is a nonresident.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Whether railroad's failure to maintain required safety gates and watchman constitutes actionable negligence
  • Whether plaintiff's conduct amounted to comparative negligence when he relied on absence of safety equipment
  • Whether dismissal of one defendant for lack of proof allows removal to federal court based on nonresident status

Procedural posture

The case proceeded to trial in state court after a removal petition was denied, resulting in a jury verdict for the plaintiff; the defendant appealed.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

Lewis, J.

Defendant’s tracks cross Sixteenth Avenue South in a residence district of the city of Minneapolis at an angle of forty-five degrees. There are five parallel tracks, and they take up most of the street. A city ordinance required the maintenance and operation of safety gates at the crossing and a gatekeeper or watchman to be on duty from seven a. m. to twelve p. m. About ten p. m. October 11, 1909, plaintiff, a laborer fifty-seven years of age, approached the crossing on the easterly sidewalk walking towards his home, and according to his testimony found the gates up, but he saw no watchman. He looked to the right as ho approached the gates, saw no trains, and proceeded over two or three tracks, when he noticed a light, and, looking to the left, saw a train coming into the city. After it passed,. he started forward. He .had no recollection of what1 followed. About half an hour afterward he was found unconscious, lying between the westerly tracks and about thirty feet from the line of the sidewalk. His head was cut in several places, and both collar bones were broken, and he did not revive until taken to a hospital.

These facts were sufficient to warrant the jury in finding that the plaintiff was negligent in not having proper gates in operation, or a watchman on duty. The position and condition in which he was found justify the inference that he was struck by. an outgoing train of which he had no warning. Stegner v. Chicago, M. & St. P. Ry. Co., 94 Minn. 166, 102 N. W. 205. This case controls, also, on the question of contributory negligence. His line of vision was unobstructed, and if he had lookéd carefully he would have discovered the approaching train; but he was entitled to assume that no trains were immediately coming, when he discovered that the gates were np and no watchman was on guard. He apparently took it for granted that no train had come from the city while waiting for the passenger to pass, and advanced without again looking to the right. Under the circumstances, it became a question for the jury whether he acted with that degree of care common to men of ordinary prudence.

His injuries were severe, and we cannot say that the verdict was excessive.

The complaint charged that J. W. Sperbeck, the engineer, or the fireman employed by defendant in propelling the train, were guilty of negligent and wrongful conduct in running the train at a high rate of speed without warning. At the trial no evidence was produced to show that Sperbeck was employed on the train, and when the plaintiff rested the defendant moved to dismiss the action for this reason. The court dismissed the action as to Sperbeck, and the defendant, a nonresident, immediately presented a petition for the removal of the case to the Federal circuit court. The petition was denied, defendant excepted, and the ease proceeded. At the close of the evidence the defendant moved for a directed verdict in its favor, which was denied, and then moved for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. The fact that plaintiff did not prove his case against Sperbeck did not prove that he had been fraudulently joined, and the dismissal of the action as to him on defendant’s motion did not operate to make the cause removable as to the nonresident defendant. Lathrop, S. & H. Co. v. Interior Construction & Imp. Co. 215 U. S. 246, 30 Sup. Ct. 76, 54 L. ed. 177; Illinois Central R. Co. v. Sheegog, 215 U. S. 308, 30 Sup. Ct. 101, 54 L. ed. 208.

Affirmed.