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Oliver v. North Pacific Transportation Co.

WILLIAM OLIVER v. THE NORTH PACIFIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANY

Oliver v. North Pac. Transp. Co., 3 Or. 84 (Multnomah Cty. Cir. Ct., O.R. 1869)
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Court
Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon · State Trial Courts
Decided
June 15, 1869
Judges
Tjpton
Citations
3 Or. 84
Headnotes
Corporation Liable eor Negligence oe Agent. — A corporation is liable to tbe injured party for damages caused by tbe agent of tbe corporation in carelessly firing a signal gun from tbe corporation’s sbip, although the agent acted contrary to instructions as to the manner of firing. Principal Liable, When. — If an agent abandon his principal’s business and do something not pertaining thereto, the agent or actor is alono liable. But if he do his principal’s business in a careless manner which he was directed to do in a careful manner, the departure from orders will not exonerate the principal. Measure op Damages. — In estimating damages for injury to the person carelessly shot and hit by the wad of a cannon, it is proper to eon- ' sider loss of time, money necessarily exjjended, or debts necessarily incurred in curing the bodily injury, and whatever bodily pain the injury may have caused-the injured party. Idem. — The object of the law in such a case is compensation. Exemplary Damages. — Exemplary damages denied.
Summary
The complainarit charges, that the defendant, a corporation engaged in navigating the waters of the State of Oregon, and plying between Portland, Oregon, and Victoria, a foreign port, was’ owner and had control of a steam-vessel called “ The Gussie Telfair.” That at the departure of said vessel from Portland, the plaintiff was on the wharf, and the defendant’s servants in the conduct and management of the vessel, fired a loaded camion from on board the vessel as a signal of departure, in such a careless and unskillful manner, that “the plaintiff was hit and struck upon his face and head by the wadding and other material,” fired from the gun, and was greatly injured and wounded. Loss of time, expense, suffering and permanent personal injury are alleged, and damages laid at ?25,000. The answer denies that defendant then had control of the vessel, and avers that it was under the control of a pilot. Denies that the gun was fired “by defendant’s agents as such agents.” Denies want of care and skill. States that if the gun was fired as charged, “ it was done without authority or direction of defendant,” and not by persons in the discharge of their duty as agents; and done directly in violation of the directions and instructions of defendant. That the alleged injury was not the fault of defendant. Denies that plaintiff was greatly injured, or detained from his business more than one week, or has suffered any damage. The replication denies the allegations of the answer.

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

Opinion of the Court — Tjpton

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

TJpton, J.,

also gave the following instructions:

In cases oi tbis kind, the jury are to determine all questions of fact, and all questions of fact are to be determined according to the weight of evidence.

It will be a question of fact for you to determine whether the gun was fired by the plaintiff’s agent, while acting in the course of the plaintiff’s business, as his agent. If an agent doing business for a company, do the business in such a careless or negligent manner, that one who is without fault, is injured by the carelessness or negligence, the company is liable to pay the injured party the damages actually sustained in consequence of the injury. If one who is agent for another, and authorized to transact his business, as, for instance, to sail a ship upon a particular voyage, depart from the business he is directed to transact, and without authority, divert the ship from his principal’s business, the principal may be exonerated from liability. But the fact that the agent does the principal’s business in a careless manner, which he was directed to do in a careful manner, will not exonerate the principal.

The burden of proof is on the plaintiff, to show that the person who fired the gun, or gave the order, was acting at the time as the agent of the company, that the act was negligently or carelessly done, and that the plaintiff was injured by the carelessness or negligence.

If the evidence satisfies you that the plaintiff is entitled to recover, it will be for you to determine from the evidence what amount of damages plaintiff has sustained.

Under the pleadings, the measure of damages is the loss and injury actually sustained by reason of the negligence. The defendant is not liable for anything beyond the actual loss and injury sustained by the plaintiff. And the plaintiff, if entitled to anything, is entitled to such a sum of money as will fully compensate him for all loss and injury to him, caused by the negligence or wrongful act.

In estimating damages, it is proper to consider loss of time, money necessarily paid or debts necessarily incurred in curing the bodily injury, and whatever bodily pain it may have caused to the plaintiff. ,

*88 The object and intent of tbe law in tbis class of cases, is to establish such a measure of damages as will fully compensate tbe injured party for all tbe injury be has sustained, whether tbe injury be loss of time, loss of money, bodily pain, or permanent bodily injury. But tbis is not a case where there is occasion to give what is called exemplary damages.

How later courts describe this case

Explanatory parentheticals written by citing courts — 5 in all; the most informative distinct ones are shown.

  • (explaining that when “estimating” damages for personal injury, “it is proper to consider loss of time, money necessarily paid or debts necessarily incurred in curing the bodily injury, and whatever bodily pain it may have caused to the plaintiff”)
  • (if entitled to anything, plaintiff “is entitled to such a sum of money as will fully compensate him for all loss and injury to him, caused by the negligence or wrongful act”)
1882–1883: 11914–1915: 11998–1999: 12002–2003: 12008–2009: 12016–2017: 22018–2019: 12020–2021: 118822026peak 2016 · 2

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Lakin v. Senco Products, Inc.987 P.2d 463 (Or. 1999)
  2. Horton v. Oregon Health & Science University376 P.3d 998 (Or. 2016)
  3. Horton v. OHSUNo. S061992 (Or. May 5, 2016)
  4. White v. Jubitz Corp.219 P.3d 566 (Or. 2009)
  5. DeMendoza v. Huffman51 P.3d 1232 (Or. 2002)
  6. Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems, Inc.468 P.3d 419 (Or. 2020)

Most recent

  1. Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems, Inc.468 P.3d 419 (Or. 2020)
  2. State v. Campbell438 P.3d 448 (Or. Ct. App. 2019)
  3. Horton v. Oregon Health & Science University376 P.3d 998 (Or. 2016)
  4. Horton v. OHSUNo. S061992 (Or. May 5, 2016)
  5. White v. Jubitz Corp.219 P.3d 566 (Or. 2009)
  6. DeMendoza v. Huffman51 P.3d 1232 (Or. 2002)

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 0

No citations to other opinions in this database were found.

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