Weger v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co.
| Decision Date | 31 October 1867 |
| Citation | 55 Pa. 460 |
| Parties | Weger <I>versus</I> Pennsylvania Railroad Company. |
| Court | Pennsylvania Supreme Court |
Before WOODWARD, C. J., THOMPSON, READ and AGNEW, JJ. STRONG, J., absent
Error to the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin county.
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R. A. Lamberton and Hamilton Alricks, for plaintiff in error, cited Ryan v. Cumb. Val. Railroad, 11 Harris 384; Brown v. Marvell, 6 Hill 594; Quarman v. Burnett, 6 M. & W. 499; Murray v. S. C. Railroad Co., 1 McMullen 385; Randleson v. Murray, 3 N. & P. 399; 35 E. C. L. R. 342; Matthews v. West London Waterworks Co., 3 Camp. 403; Bush v. Steinmetz, 1 Bos. & Pull. 404; Cumb. Valley Railroad v. Hughes, 1 Jones 145; The Phila. and Read. Railroad Co. v. Derby, 14 How. 468; Lockhart v. Lichtenthaler, 10 Wright 151; Railroad Co. v. Aspell, 11 Harris 147; Penna. Railroad v. Ogier, 11 Casey 60; Sullivan v. Phila. and Read. Railroad Co., 6 Id. 234; Powell v. Penna. Railroad Co., 8 Id. 416; The Little Miami Railroad Co. v. Stevens, 20 Ohio Rep. 415; Michael v. Allestree, 2 Lev. 172; Goodman v. Gay, 3 Harris 188; Beaty v. Gilmore, 4 Id. 463.
J. C. Kunkel, for defendants in error.
The opinion of the court was delivered, October 31st 1867, by READ, J.
It seems to be now perfectly well settled in England, and mostly in this country, that a servant who is injured by the negligence or misconduct of a fellow-servant can maintain no action against the master for such injury. But it seems to be conceded that if there be any fault in the selection of the other servants, or in continuing them in their places, after they have proved incompetent, perhaps, or in the employing unsafe machinery, the master will be answerable for all injury to his servants in consequence. The law thus clearly stated by Judge Redfield in his Law of Railways, vol. 1, p. 521, is the rule in Pennsylvania and governs the present case. The deceased was killed (taking the evidence in its strongest light) by the negligence of his fellow-employee, and the only bond between them was, that there were servants of one common employer. The company, therefore, was not liable for the death of their employee. (See, also, Burges v. Wickham, in note to Readhead v. Midland Railway, 36 L. J. Q. B. 195.) Nor was there any proof that Wilber (the servant alleged to be in fault) was either unskilful or negligent. "On the contrary," says Judge Pearson, "the only evidence in the case shows that he was...
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