Anderson v. Carnegie Steel Co.

Citations

• 255 Pa. 33
• 99 A. 215
• 1916 Pa. LEXIS 522

Syllabus

<p>Constitutional law — Constitution of Pennsylvania, Article I, Section 9 — Constitution of the United States, lltth Amendment— Workman’s Compensation Act of June 2,1915, P. L. 786 — Validity.</p> <p>1. A person has no property, no vested, interest in any rule of the common law; that is only one of the forms of municipal law and is no more sacred than any other. Rights of property which have been created by the common law cannot he taken away without due process; but the law itself, as a rule of conduct, may he. changed at the will of the legislature, unless prevented by constitutional limitations.</p> <p>2. Section 201 of Article II of the Workman’s Compensation Act of June 2, 1915, P. L. 736, abolishing the fellow servant rule, assumption of risk, and contributory negligence as defenses to actions to recover damages for injuries sustained by an employee, or for death resulting from injuriés received in the course of employment, does not effect a deprivation of property without due process of law, in violation of Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States..</p> <p>3. Section 204 of Article II of the said Act of 1915, providing in effect that no agreement or release of damages made before the happening of any accident, except the agreement defined in Article III of said act, shall he valid or bar claims for damages for the injuries resulting therefrom, is hut a statutory extension of the principle that a contract limiting or releasing damages for future negligence is against public policy, and is not unconstitutional as being an unreasonable interference with the right of the individual to make his own’ contract.</p> <p>4. Sections 301, 302 and 303 of Article III of the said Act of 1915 do not deprive citizens of the rights of trial by jury in violation of Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution, as neither employer nor employee is deprived of a trial by jury except by his own c