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92 Cal. 89

Callahan v. Eel River & Eureka Railroad

California Supreme Court

Decided November 27, 1891

California Supreme Court · decided 1891-11-27

<p>Negligence — Turn-table—Injury to Child — Trespass — Contributory Negligence. —A railroad company is liable in damages for injuries received by a young child while playing on a turn-table belonging to it, which was not guarded at the time by any one, or protected by any inclosure, and its liability is not affected by the fact that the table was latched by the customary fastening of an iron latch dropped in a slot, or by the fact that the table was set in motion by the negligent act of other boys.</p>

Relies on Barrett v. Southern Pacific Co.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1891-11-27

How this case has been cited

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently March 1933

1 federal appellate · 4 state decisions

3018911900191019201930decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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Belcher, C.

¶1The material facts of this case are very nearly the same as those of Barrett v. Southern Pacific Company, decided by this court September 21,1891. (91 Cal. 296.)

¶2It appears here that on the 5th of August, 1887, the defendant owned and was operating a railroad, one terminus of which was at the city of Eureka, in the county of Humboldt. At this terminus it had a turn-table, which was held in place by the customary fastening of an iron latch dropped in a slot. By lifting the latch from the slot the table could be revolved.

¶3The plaintiff was a child six years old, whose parents lived a short distance from the turn-table. On the day above named, he returned from school about three *92o’clock, p. m., and thereafter was about the house and yard of his parents till he got his supper. His mother directed him not to leave the yard, but between six and seven o’clock, he, with some other boys, ran away down to the turn-table. He got onto the turn-table to have a ride, and sat down with his right leg over the side of it. The other boys turned the table, and as it went round his leg was caught between it and the timbers of the track, and so badly crushed that it had to be amputated above the knee.

¶4Before this, boys had frequently played around and ridden on the turn-table, and when seen doing so by the employees of defendant, had been ordered away. At this time no employees were about.

¶5The plaintiff brought this action to recover damages for his injury, and-asked judgment for the sum of thirty thousand dollars. The case was tried by a jury, and a verdict returned, on which judgment was entered for five thousand dollars. The defendant moved for a new trial, which was refused, and has appealed from the judgment and order.

¶6The appellant contends that its motion for nonsuit should have been granted, and that numerous errors were committed by the court in its rulings, and in giving and refusing certain instructions to the jury.

¶7We do not think it necessary to discuss the points presented, at length. They are made upon the theory that the plaintiff was a trespasser, and that defendant was no.t guilty of negligence; and they all seem, in effect, to have been considered and decided against appellant’s contention, in the Barrett case.

¶8Upon the authority of that case, we advise that the judgment and order be affirmed.

¶9Fitzgerald, 0., and Vanclief, 0., concurred.

The Court.

¶10For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion, the judgment and order are affirmed.

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