LIABILITY OF TEAMWAY COMPANIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1560, 17 May 1887, Page 2

LIABILITY OF TEAMWAY COMPANIES

The responsibility for damsgeß of tram* way and other companies who permtjk drunken men to travel on their couyoyanopy hna been rccantly settled m England by the Court of Appeal. A rate, with hii wife and child, wna on a tramoar belong* ing to the Blackburn and Over Darvren Company. A drunkui man shortly after* ward 3 ascended the car standing up, and when the oar stopped he staggered, and pulled the woman and child into the afreet. All these BUB'ained injuries, the child being killed, fa an action for damsgei against the Company at the Livergoq} Assizes, the jury "found— (1) that the cap was overloaded ; (2) that the man wag allowed to get up when he was obviously drunk ; (3) that the accident was dae to the nogUgenpe of the ponduotpr In air lowine; the oar to bs overcrowded, and the drunken man to get on the oar and (4) that there was no contributory negligence on the part of the women ; and assessed the damages at £200. And appeal made to the Divisional Caurt by the company for a now trial was dismissed; and an application to the Court of Appeal met with a similar fate. The Maater of the Rolls said if the conductor did not see the drunken man go op on the car ho ought to have done so, and if he wai inside collecting fares, the Company ought to havo as many servants as were neoei* envy for tba purpose of (saving the raisangers from unreasonable risks. The priuoiple thus embodied Is a far-reaohiu£ one, and mnniregtly applies to eyeif public conveyance, including railway trains. The ' Field" says :— " Drunken men ara a source of danger everywhere, and this judgment will no doubt lead to Increased vigilance m exotadtag them from public conveyances on the part of persons ia obaage, and thejr emptoyeri,"