NEW YORK, N. H. & H. R. CO. v. HENAGAN(1960)
In this suit against a railroad under the Federal Employers' Liability Act by a waitress in the grill car of one of the railroad's trains to recover damages for injuries allegedly sustained when an emergency application of the brakes brought the train to a sudden stop, held: The proofs were insufficient to submit to the jury the question whether employer negligence played a part in the emergency application of the brakes which allegedly produced the injury.
272 F.2d 153, reversed.
Noel W. Deering argued the cause and filed a brief for petitioner.
James W. Kelleher argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief was Daniel J. Hanlon.
PER CURIAM.
The respondent was a waitress in the grill car of one of petitioner's trains. She brought this action under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, 45 U.S.C. 51 et seq., for damages for injuries allegedly sustained when an emergency application of the brakes brought the train to a sudden stop. A jury which heard the case in the District Court for the District of Massachusetts returned a verdict for respondent. The trial judge denied the petitioner's motions for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and for a new trial. The Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed, 272 F.2d 153. We granted certiorari, 362 U.S. 967 .
The train was pulling into petitioner's station at Providence, Rhode Island, for a scheduled stop. One Montell, [364 U.S. 441, 442] apparently to commit suicide, stepped on the track from the station platform as the train approached alongside the platform. The engineer made the emergency application of the brakes in an unsuccessful effort to stop the train before it reached Montell. We have examined the trial record and hold that the proofs were insufficient to submit to the jury the question whether employer negligence played a part in the emergency application of the brakes which allegedly produced the respondent's injury. See Herdman v. Pennsylvania R. Co., 352 U.S. 518 .
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed and the cause remanded to the District Court with direction to enter judgment for the petitioner notwithstanding the verdict.
For the reasons set forth in his opinion in Rogers v. Missouri Pacific R. Co., 352 U.S. 500, 524 , MR. JUSTICE FRANKFURTER is of the view that the writ of certiorari was improvidently granted. [364 U.S. 441, 443]