Root v. O'Neil

Decision Date01 May 1855
PartiesRoot versus O'Neil.
CourtPennsylvania Supreme Court

Siewers, for defendant in error.

The opinion of the Court was delivered by BLACK, J.

When a plaintiff has stated his cause of action defectively, he may amend his declaration at any time before or during the trial. But his right of amending is not entirely without limit. The great cardinal rule adhered to in all the cases is, that the amendment must not introduce a cause of action substantially different from that which is set forth in the narr. already filed. In the case now before us the first declaration was indebitatus assumpsit for goods sold and delivered; and the additional counts, filed by leave of the Court, were for money lent, laid out, and expended, and for a balance due on settlement. We think the latter of these new counts, if offered alone, would have been a permissible amendment of the original narr. But it was erroneous to allow the other to be put in. The insimul computassent may be only another way of alleging the indebtedness of the defendant for goods; but the loan of money must have been a perfectly distinct transaction.

Judgment reversed and venire de novo awarded.

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5 cases
  • Card v. Stowers Pork-Packing & Provision Co.
    • United States
    • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
    • 15 Mayo 1916
    ... ... Levin v. Clad & Sons, 244 Pa. 194; Rick v. N.Y., ... Chicago & St. Louis R.R. Co., 232 Pa. 553; Little v ... Fairchild, 195 Pa. 614; Root v. O'Neill, 24 ... Pa. 326; Erie City Iron Works v. Barber, et al., 118 ... Pa. 6; Rodrigue v. Curcier, 15 S. & R. 81; Erie City ... Iron Works v ... ...
  • Erie City Iron-Works v. Barber
    • United States
    • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
    • 6 Febrero 1888
    ...where the plaintiff has stated his cause of action defectively, he may amend his declaration at any time before or during trial: Root v. O'Neil, 24 Pa. 326. additional counts in this case, were upon the same "false and fraudulent" representations as to the quality and capacity of the same b......
  • Booth v. Dorsey
    • United States
    • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
    • 28 Abril 1902
    ... ... that plaintiff has defectively declared his cause of action ... as to some formal matter: Root v. O'Neil, 24 Pa ... 326; Cochran v Arnold, 54 Pa. 399; Fairchild v ... Dunbar Furnace Co., 128 Pa. 485 ... A ... change of parties ... ...
  • Hewitt v. Hodson
    • United States
    • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
    • 11 Mayo 1934
    ... ... same cause of action, though different in form, the variance ... in form will not prevent the amendment: Root v ... O'Neil, 24 Pa. 326 (1855), Black J.; Allen v ... Tuscarora Valley R. R. Co., 229 Pa. 97 (1910), ... Mestrezat, J.; Osterling Allegheny ... ...
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