A Railroad Injury Suit That Lasted Ten Minutes
Jack Harper sought $10,000 for an engine that struck him in the Newport yards. A Sandpoint jury sided with the railroad almost instantly.
The case of Jack Harper against the Great Northern Railroad Co., for damages to the amount of $10,000 for personal injuries sustained by being hit by an engine in the Newport yards about two years ago, was heard at Sandpoint this week. Wednesday afternoon the jury brought in a verdict for the defendant company after being out about ten minutes.
“the jury brought in a verdict for the defendant company after being out about ten minutes.”
In 1910, railroad yards were among the most dangerous places in town, and injury claims against the Great Northern were hard to win. A ten-minute defense verdict shows how little leverage an injured man had against a powerful corporation before modern liability and workplace-safety law.
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