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Parsons v. Boston Elevated Railway Co.

Mary E. Parsons v. Boston Elevated Railway Company

Parsons v. Boston Elevated Ry. Co., 236 Mass. 415 (1920)
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Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · State Highest Courts
Decided
November 9, 1920
Citations
236 Mass. 415
Headnotes
Negligence, Street railway. Where, at the trial of an action against a street railway company for personal injuries received by a child three years old, who, when upon a public street unattended by any person on a pleasant October day, was run into by an electric street car operated by the defendant, the only evidence tending to show how the accident happened was that a policeman heard a scream, saw the car stop, and, on running about fifty feet, found the plaintiff under the fender close to the front wheel of the car with her face bruised and her clothes over her head, and that he noticed no motor cars, wagons or other electric cars on the street and heard no sound of a gong, a verdict properly may be ordered for the defendant, there being no evidence of negligence of the defendant or of its servants or agents.
Summary
Tort for personal injuries. Writ dated December 29, 1916. In the Superior Court, the action was tried before Hall, J. Material evidence is described in the opinion. At the close of the evidence, by order of the trial judge, the jury found for the defendant; and the plaintiff alleged exceptions.

Syllabus and headnotes are prepared by the reporter or publisher, not the court, and are not part of the opinion.

Opinion of the Court

Text extracted by OCR from a scanned original; check the original for exact wording.

By the Court.

The plaintiff, who at the time of the injury complained of was three years old, was upon a public street unattended by any person. The only evidence tending to show how the accident happened was that a policeman on a pleasant. October day heard a scream, saw an electric car of the defendant stop, and on running about fifty feet found the plaintiff under the fender close to the front wheel of the car with her face bruised and her clothes over her head. He noticed no automobiles, wagons or other electric cars on the street, and heard no sound of a gong. This evidence wholly fails to show any negligence on the part of the defendant or its servants or agents. Bigwood v. Boston & Northern Street Railway, 209 Mass. 345 . Stangy v. Boston Elevated Railway, 220 Mass. 414 . Raymond v. Worcester Consolidated Street Railway, 222 Mass. 396 . McNiff v. Boston Elevated Railway, 234 Mass. 252 . Anger v. Worcester Consolidated Street Railway, 231 Mass. 163 . Boyle v. Worcester Consolidated Street Railway, 231 Mass. 184 . Kelley v. Boston & Northern Street Railway, 223 Mass. 449. Donahue v. Massachusetts Northeastern Street Railway, 222 Mass. 233.

Exceptions overruled.

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

1923: 119232026peak 1923 · 1

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Reardon v. Boston Elevated Railway Co.141 N.E. 857 (Mass. 1923)

Most recent

  1. Reardon v. Boston Elevated Railway Co.141 N.E. 857 (Mass. 1923)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 8

DepthCaseCited by
Bigwood v. Boston & Northern St. Ry. Co., 95 N.E. 751 (Mass. 1911) 78
Stangy v. Boston Elevated Ry. Co., 220 Mass. 414 (1915) 24
Donahue v. Mass. Northeastern St. Ry. Co., 222 Mass. 233 (1915) 11
Anger v. Worcester Consol. St. Ry. Co., 120 N.E. 399 (Mass. 1918) 10
McNiff v. Boston Elevated Ry. Co., 234 Mass. 252 (1919) 9
Kelley v. Boston & Northern St. Ry. Co., 223 Mass. 449 (1916) 6
Boyle v. Worcester Consol. St. Ry. Co., 231 Mass. 184 (1918) 6
Raymond v. Worcester Consol. St. Ry. Co., 222 Mass. 396 (1916) 2

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