Miller v. Pa. R. Co.

CourtUnited States State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Writing for the CourtPER CURIAM
Citation154 A. 924,303 Pa. 524
Decision Date13 April 1931
PartiesMILLER v. PENNSYLVANIA R. CO.
154 A. 924
303 Pa. 524

MILLER
v.
PENNSYLVANIA R. CO.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

April 13, 1931.


Appeal from Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County; W. Heber Dithrich, Judge.

Action by John Miller against the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Judgment for plaintiff, and defendant appeals.

Affirmed.

Argued before FRAZER, C. J., and WALLING, SIMPSON, KEPHART, and SCHAFFER, JJ.

Robert D. Dalzell (of Dalzell, Dalzell & McFall), of Pittsburgh, for appellant.

Joseph A. Rossi, Wilbur F. Galbraith, and Julius L. Schoenberg, all of Pittsburgh, for appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Plaintiff, a passenger on a train of defendant company, sued to recover for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by him as a result of being thrown or falling from the car while the train was in motion. Plaintiff was traveling from Chicago to Pittsburgh, and, according to his statement of claim, "at a point near Garfield, Ohio, while walking from the vestibule of a car of defendant company, for the purpose of entering the next coach, the train swayed suddenly, thereby precipitating plaintiff through the open vestibule door, or hatchway, which had negligently, carelessly or recklessly been allowed to remain open while the train was in motion, thereby inflicting on plaintiff bodily injuries." The evidence shows that Miller walked from the scene of the accident, to a nearby farm house, where he was cared for until taken to a hospital. His claim for damages is based upon a permanent injury sustained as a result of the accident; he is now suffering from a form of cerebral concussion, which has incapacitated him from performing any but the simplest tasks. Defendant filed no affidavit of defense; at the first trial, the jury awarded plaintiff a verdict of $12,000. Defendant's motion for judgment n. o. v. was refused, but a new trial granted. Upon the second trial, the jury returned a verdict in his favor for the sum of $10,690. Defendant again filed a motion for judgment n. o. v., which, after argument before the court in banc, was refused. This appeal followed.

The point urged by defendant company before this court is that plaintiff's evidence was insufficient to warrant submission of the case to the jury, and it argues that the testimony of Miller was contradictory to

154 A. 925

such extent that the jury could only have guessed as to how the accident happened, that Miller failed to prove negligence on the part of defendant company or its agents, and that he was...

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9 practice notes
  • Pedretti v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
    • 20 Abril 1965
    ...(Emphasis supplied). See also: Zaltouski v. Scranton Railway Co., 310 Pa. 531, 534, 165 A. 847; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924. In Thomas v. Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co., 148 Pa. 180, 183, 23 A. 989, 15 L.R.A. 416, we said: 'But to throw this burden [that ......
  • Cornwell v. Cornwell, No. 7389.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (District of Columbia)
    • 17 Febrero 1941
    ...107 U.S. 519, 521, 2 S.Ct. 840, 27 L.Ed. 618. Cf. also, Ross v. United States, 7 Cir., 93 F.2d 950, 951; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. R., 303 Pa. 524, 527, 154 A. 924, 925; Brown v. Armstrong & Latta Co., 239 Pa. 549, 554, 555, 87 A. 11, 5 Hallowell v. Darling, 32 App.D.C. 405; Kenyon v. Y......
  • Wood v. Pa. R. Co.
    • United States
    • Superior Court of Pennsylvania
    • 1 Febrero 1934
    ...before a train is started. In the Hassan Case, negligence was shown; Inthe instant case it was not. In the case of Miller v. P. R. R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924, the plaintiff, a passenger, was passing from one coach to another when the train was in motion and was thrown from the train by......
  • Great Northern Ry. Co. v. Shellenbarger, No. 6482.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (9th Circuit)
    • 23 Febrero 1932
    ...Pacific Co. v. Hanlon (C. C. A.) 9 F.(2d) 294; Rivers v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 83 N. J. Law, 513, 83 A. 883; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924; Robinson v. United States Ben. Soc., 132 Mich. 695, 94 N. W. 211, 102 Am. St. Rep. 436; Robinson v. Chicago & A. R. Co., 13......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
9 cases
  • Pedretti v. Pittsburgh Rys. Co.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
    • 20 Abril 1965
    ...(Emphasis supplied). See also: Zaltouski v. Scranton Railway Co., 310 Pa. 531, 534, 165 A. 847; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924. In Thomas v. Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co., 148 Pa. 180, 183, 23 A. 989, 15 L.R.A. 416, we said: 'But to throw this burden [that ......
  • Cornwell v. Cornwell, No. 7389.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (District of Columbia)
    • 17 Febrero 1941
    ...107 U.S. 519, 521, 2 S.Ct. 840, 27 L.Ed. 618. Cf. also, Ross v. United States, 7 Cir., 93 F.2d 950, 951; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. R., 303 Pa. 524, 527, 154 A. 924, 925; Brown v. Armstrong & Latta Co., 239 Pa. 549, 554, 555, 87 A. 11, 5 Hallowell v. Darling, 32 App.D.C. 405; Kenyon v. Y......
  • Wood v. Pa. R. Co.
    • United States
    • Superior Court of Pennsylvania
    • 1 Febrero 1934
    ...before a train is started. In the Hassan Case, negligence was shown; Inthe instant case it was not. In the case of Miller v. P. R. R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924, the plaintiff, a passenger, was passing from one coach to another when the train was in motion and was thrown from the train by......
  • Great Northern Ry. Co. v. Shellenbarger, No. 6482.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (9th Circuit)
    • 23 Febrero 1932
    ...Pacific Co. v. Hanlon (C. C. A.) 9 F.(2d) 294; Rivers v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 83 N. J. Law, 513, 83 A. 883; Miller v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 303 Pa. 524, 154 A. 924; Robinson v. United States Ben. Soc., 132 Mich. 695, 94 N. W. 211, 102 Am. St. Rep. 436; Robinson v. Chicago & A. R. Co., 13......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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