Connors-Weyman Steel Co. v. Kilgore

• Court: Alabama Supreme Court
• Writing for the Court: THOMAS, J.
• Citation: Connors-Weyman Steel Co. v. Kilgore, 202 Ala. 372, 80 So. 454 (Ala. 1918)
• Decision Date: 28 November 1918
• Docket Number: 7 Div. 958
• Parties: CONNORS-WEYMAN STEEL CO. v. KILGORE et al.

80 So. 454

202 Ala. 372

CONNORS-WEYMAN STEEL CO. v. KILGORE et al.

7 Div. 958

Supreme Court of Alabama

November 28, 1918

Appeal from Circuit Court, Shelby County; Lum Duke, Judge.

Suit by Peggy Kilgore and others against the Connors-Weyman Steel Company. Judgment for plaintiffs, and defendant appeals. Reversed and remanded.

Cabaniss & Bowie, of Birmingham, and Leeper, Haynes & Wallace, of Columbiana, for appellant.

W.A Denson, of Birmingham, for appellees.

THOMAS J.

The suit was for personal injury.

In the first trial of this cause there were counts alleging that plaintiffs' intestate was an employé of defendant, that his death was caused by the negligence of defendant in failing to provide a safe place of work, negligence of a superintendent, and the negligence of the defendant in failing to provide suitable mine cars and in failing to provide safe means to prevent mine cars from running back into the mine. There was also count A, in which it was alleged that plaintiffs' intestate was at work in defendant's mine as an employé of one Sicard, who had a mining contract with defendant to mine coal for it; that intestate was in the mine by invitation when he came to his death by reason and as a proximate consequence of the negligence of defendant in failing to provide "a derailing switch near the mouth of said mine."

All the counts were eliminated by action of the court, except count A, and the trial was had on count A.

The judgment rendered by the lower court on said trial was reversed on appeal, it being here held that the complaint showed Sicard to be an independent contractor, and that under the evidence there was no liability on defendant's part. Connors-Weyman Steel Co. v. Kilgore, 189 Ala. 643 66 So. 609.

On the second trial, plaintiffs withdrew all counts except that numbered 2, the gravamen of which was the negligence of the defendant in failing to provide plaintiffs' intestate while engaged in the active duty of his employment by defendant, a reasonably safe place in which to perform the duties of his employment. Defendant pleaded the general issue, and special pleas averring that the mine was operated by Sicard under a written contract between him and defendant a copy of which was set out. The evidence was not identical on the two trials. There was a verdict for plaintiffs on second trial.

Defendant moved for a new trial on grounds assigned and on the further ground that the verdict was contrary to the evidence.

Looking to the phase of the evidence tending to show that plaintiffs' intestate was killed by the coal car in question while engaged in the discharge of the duties of his employment, we are of opinion that the evidence warranted a reasonable inference to be drawn that such was the fact.

There was evidence to warrant the submission of the issue whether Connors-Weyman Steel Company, as owner, or Adrian Sicard, as lessee, was operating the mine of defendant at the time of the homicide. The evidence tended to show that plaintiffs' intestate received payment for his earnings in "pay slips" with the name of Connors-Weyman Steel Company thereon, or in such company's "pay envelopes"; that one Stevens was discharged by Mr. Connors, or by Mr. Sicard at the request or instance of Mr. Connors, who was at the time the president of said company; and that in letters written by that company about the mine and its operation, to the chief mine inspector, two or three months after the accident that caused intestate's death, references were made to "our mine" and to "our superintendent"; and that at the time of the injury, and when these letters were written, Mr. Sicard was operating the mine either as lessee or as the superintendent for Connors-Weyman Steel Company.

Under the reasonable inferences to be drawn from such evidence, the issues of master and servant, employer and employé, and lessor and lessee vel non, were properly submitted to the jury. Amerson v. Corono Coal & Iron Co., 194 Ala. 175, 69 So. 601; Nashville, C. & St. L. Ry. v. Crosby, 194 Ala. 338, 70 So. 7; Crandall-Pettee Co. v. Jebeles & Colias Conf. Co., 195 Ala. 152, 69 So. 964; Louisville & N.R. Co. v. Jenkins, 196 Ala. 136, 72 So. 68; Morrison v. Clark, 196 Ala. 670, 72 So. 305.

The case of Oden-Elliott Lumber Co. v. Rowe, 77 So. 552, is not contrary to this holding. There, the evidence clearly showed that Oden-Elliott Lumber Company, a "corporation," was not engaged in "active business of any kind" at the time in question, but that Oden-Elliott Lumber Company, a "partnership," then carried on the business formerly conducted by the corporation of the same name. Held, that the affirmative charge was properly refused to the partnership, and properly given at the request of the body corporate of identical name.

The complaint alleged that defendant was guilty of negligence which proximately contributed to the death of plaintiffs' intestate. Was the burden of such proof discharged by plaintiffs?

It is conceded that at the Eureka mine there was no "derailing switch," and that there was nothing within the mine to keep the cars from running back; that the obstruction used for such purpose was an oak or hickory pole placed at the mouth of the mine, where derailing switches are sometimes located.

It is insisted by defendant that the evidence shows that at the time of the injury there was a better device used at the mine in question, to prevent loose cars from running back therein--"a large piece of hickory or oak about six inches in diameter, that was placed there to keep the cars from going back;" that "they put that stick across the opening [the mouth of the mine];" that it would have "to be removed before the cars went down" in the mine. such was the effect of the testimony of witnesses Connors and Hudson. Of this the latter testified:

"They used a bar at the mouth of this mine. I think it was a hickory pole of some kind. I don't remember what kind of pole it was. It was a pole put across there. Just a heavy pole put across the mouth of the mine. Before the cars went into the mine, the pole had to be removed. I couldn't say if it was removed before the cars started in the mine or afterwards, because I worked inside of the mine; certainly they removed the pole

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