Crowe v. Nanticoke Light Co.

Citations

• 206 Pa. 374
• 55 A. 1038
• 1903 Pa. LEXIS 724

Syllabus

<p>Negligence — Electric light companies — Presumption.</p> <p>In an action against an electric light company to recover damages for the death of plaintiff’s husband, it appeared that the deceased on the evening of the accident attempted to turn on an incandescent electric light in his barroom, and immediately received a severe shock which knocked him down. In falling he carried the glass bulb with him. He immediately sprang up saying, “ What is that? ” put the bulb to the socket and received a shock which killed him. The evidence showed that at another house 200 feet distant, and on the same incandescent circuit, the occupant on the same evening received a severe shock from an incandescent light. It also appeared that at the latter place on the night in question some arc wire was stripped of insulation and had come in contact with the incandescent wire. There was no evidence, however, that the contact with the naked arc wire would produce any dangerous effect at the house of the deceased. The evidence also showed that the deceased had been a customer of the defendant company, but that the defendant company prior to the accident had leased and transferred its property and contracts, including the contract of deceased, to another electric light, heat and power company. Held, that it was not error to give binding instructions for the defendant.</p>