Crowley v. Burlington, C. R. & N. R. Co.

Decision Date08 April 1885
Citation65 Iowa 658,22 N.W. 918
CourtIowa Supreme Court
PartiesCROWLEY v. BURLINGTON, C. R. & N. R. CO.

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

On rehearing. S. C. 20 N. W. REP. 467.

ROTHROCK, J.

1. After the foregoing opinion was filed, a petition for rehearing was presented, in which counsel insists that this court should pass upon two assignments of error more specifically than is done in the closing paragraph of the opinion. The first of these objections is based upon the following instruction given by the court to the jury: (4) If you should find from the evidence that the plaintiff was negligent, still the defendant could not escape liability, if the act which caused the injury was done by defendant after it discovered plaintiff's negligence, if you should find from the evidence that defendant could have avoided the injury in the exercise of reasonable care.” It is not claimed that this instruction is an incorrect statement of the law, but it is insisted there is neither averment nor proof that the defendant could have prevented the injury after the discovery of plaintiff's negligence. We do not think such an allegation is necessary to be made in the petition. It is a phase of the rights and obligations of the parties which arises upon the proofs rather than by pleading. We know of no rule of pleading which requires the plaintiff in actions of this character to confess negligence on his part, and avoid it by alleging that the defendant might have averted the injury by using proper care after the discovery of plaintiff's peril. The objection that there was no evidence to support the instruction does not appear to us to be well taken. There was evidence in the case to the effect that one Smith, a brakeman, saw the plaintiff, and called to him to warn him of the approach of the car, but made no effort to check its speed.

2. The other objection is made to the following instructions given to the jury. (9) In law a preponderance of evidence signifies the greater weight of testimony, and does not mean the greater number of witnesses; in other words, witnesses are weighed, not counted. (10) You are the sole judges of the weight of testimony, and of the credibility of the witnesses. If there is a conflict you will reconcile it, if possible to do so. If you cannot do so, you will then award credit to those witnesses and that testimony which you believe, as reasonable men, under all circumstances of the case, worthy thereof, and reject such as you believe to be unworthy...

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4 cases
  • Lake Erie & W. Ry. Co. v. Hennessey
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court
    • January 30, 1912
    ...Ind. 166, 171, 13 N. E. 659;Goodfellow v. Boston, etc., Co., 106 Mass. 461;Crowley v. Burlington, etc., Co., 65 Iowa, 658, 20 N. W. 467, 22 N. W. 918. The complaint alleges that appellant “had knowledge and well knew” that appellee was under the cars inspecting them; and that at the time it......
  • Lake Erie And Western Railroad Company v. Hennessey
    • United States
    • Indiana Supreme Court
    • January 30, 1912
    ...N.E. 659; Goodfellow v. Boston, etc., R. Co. (1871), 106 Mass. 461; Crowley v. Burlington, etc., R. Co. (1885), 65 Iowa 658, 20 N.W. 467, 22 N.W. 918. complaint alleges that appellant "had knowledge and well knew" that appellee was under the cars inspecting them; and that at the time it "th......
  • Hooker v. Schuler
    • United States
    • Idaho Supreme Court
    • October 31, 1927
    ... ... pleadings charging negligence and need not be specifically ... pleaded. (Mosso v. Stanton, supra; Crowley v ... Burlington, C. R. & N. R., 65 Iowa 658, 20 N.W. 467, 22 ... N.W. 918.) ... FEATHERSTONE, ... Commissioner. Babcock and Adair, ... ...
  • Crowley v. Burlington, C.R. & N. R. Co.
    • United States
    • Iowa Supreme Court
    • April 8, 1885
    ...22 N.W. 918 65 Iowa 658 CROWLEY v. BURLINGTON, C. R. & N. R. CO. Supreme Court of IowaApril 8, On rehearing. S. C. 20 N.W. 467. OPINION ROTHROCK, J. 1. After the foregoing opinion was filed, a petition for rehearing was presented, in which counsel insists that this court should pass upon tw......

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