Louisville & Nashville R. Co. v. Layton, 243 U.S. 617 (1917)

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Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company v. Layton

No. 840

Argued April 11, 1917
Decided April 30, 1917
243 U.S. 617

ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT

OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA

Syllabus

The Georgia Employers’ Liability Act, Georgia Code of 1911, 2783, eliminates the defenses of assumed risk and contributory negligence when a violation of the federal Safety Appliance Acts contributes to cause the injury.

Under the federal Safety Appliance Acts, carriers in Interstate Commerce are liable in damages to their employees, injured in the discharge of duty, whenever the failure to comply with those acts is the proximate cause of injury and without reference to the physical position occupied by the employee or the nature of the work upon which he is engaged at the time when the injury occurs.

So held in a case where failure of couplers to work automatically in a switching operation resulted in a collision of cars from one of which the plaintiff was thrown to his injury while preparing to release brakes.

145 Ga. 886 affirmed.

The case is stated in the opinion.