DeHaas v. Pennsylvania Railroad

Citations

• 261 Pa. 499
• 104 A. 733
• 1918 Pa. LEXIS 776

Syllabus

<p>Courts — Jurisdiction, C. P. — Corporations—Process—Service— County where corporate franchise is exercised — Principal office in another county — Special appearance — Plea in abatement — Trial on merits — Acts of June 18, 1886, Sec. 1¡.2, P. L. 568; March 21,18^2, Sec. 8, P. L. 145, and March 17, 1856, P. L. 888.</p> <p>1. The common law rule that a corporation could be sued only-in the territorial jurisdiction where it had its legal domicile and chief plkce of business, has been enlarged by the Acts of June 13, 1836, Sec. 42, P. L. 568; March 21, 1842, See. 8, P. L. 145, and March It, 1856; P. L. 388, so that a corporation of this State now exists in any county where it has property and exercises its corporate franchise, and, being lawfully served, must respond to any transitory action brought there against it.</p> <p>2. In an action against a railroad company to recover for personal injuries, service was properly had upon the defendant in a county where part of its system was situated, although not the county where the injury occurred or where the company’s principal office was located; in such case where defendant entered a special appearance and pleaded in abatement to the jurisdiction of the court, the plea was properly overruled, and the effect of the defendant thereafter going to trial on the merits not considered.</p> <p>Damages — Earning capacity — Professional education — Injury before beginning to practice — Graduate forester — Evidence — Competency.</p> <p>3. In a negligence suit lessened capacity to earn in any actually available occupation may be shown by proper and satisfactory proof.</p> <p>4. In an action to recover for injuries resulting from defendant’s negligence, plaintiff, who had just completed a four-year course in forestry a year prior to the accident, but had not taken up that work, was properly permitted to offer evidence as to the minimum salary of a graduate forester, in connection with evidence that the accident disabled him from pur