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Dickson v. Hollister

Unknown CourtJanuary 7, 1889Cited 25 times
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Case Details

Judge(s)
Clark, Gordor, Green, Hakd, Paxsok, Sterrett, Williams
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Published
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal

Related Laws

Claim Types

RetaliationDiscrimination

Outcome

The court affirmed the Civil Service Commission's denial of counsel fees but reversed and remanded for a hearing on whether the petitioner was entitled to ancillary relief (rescission/retraction of a circulated reprimand memorandum) following her employer's unilateral withdrawal of a negative performance evaluation.

Excerpt

ERROR TO THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS NO. 1 OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY. No. 32 October Term 1888, Sup. Ct.; court below, No. 407 March Term 1887, C. P. No. 1. On February 7, 1887, a summons in case was served in an action by Alfred Hollister against Dr. John S. Dickson and Sarah Dickson, his'wife, -to recover damages for personal injuries received through the alleged negligence of the defendants. Issue. At the trial on November 17, 1887, the facts appearing in evidence were substantially as follows : On April 10, 1886, the plaintiff, a resident of Utica, New York, was in Pittsburgh, as a traveling salesman for a drug house in New York city, and in the afternoon of that day when passing in front of property belonging to the defendants on Ninth street, in the pursuit of his business, he stepped upon the grating which covered a coal-hole in the foot way. The grating was displaced by his step upon it, and turned or slipped away, whereby the plaintiff fell into the coal-hole to his arm-pits, receiving a severe injury upon his right leg below the knee. He was confined to his bed at the St. Charles Hotel for two months, under treatment, and was off duty for still another month. Erysipelas supervened during his confinement. His testimony, as to the occurrence resulting in his injury sufficiently appears in the charge of the court below and in the opinion of this court. Dr. Orr, his physician, testified that the erysipelas set in on the sixth or seventh day; that erysipelas frequently though not usually followed wounds, but if there had been -no wound there would have been no erysipelas. Other witnesses were called by the plaintiff to prove his injuries, the resultant suffering and the expenses incurred, when he rested. The defendants called Thomas Johnson, an employee of the defendants -who had charge of the building in front of which the injury occurred, and who testified that the coal-hole was not in use at the time, and he had secured the grat

What This Ruling Means

**Dickson v. Hollister (1889) - Personal Injury Case** This case involved a personal injury lawsuit, not an employment dispute. Alfred Hollister sued Dr. John S. Dickson and his wife for damages after he was injured due to their alleged negligence. Based on the available information, Hollister was hurt because of a displaced coal-hole grating on the Dicksons' property in Pittsburgh. The incident occurred in 1887, and Hollister filed the lawsuit seeking compensation for his injuries. The court ultimately dismissed the case, meaning Hollister did not win his lawsuit against the Dicksons. No damages were awarded to the injured party. The specific reasons for the dismissal are not clear from the available court records, but the court found in favor of the property owners rather than the injured person. **What this means for workers:** This case is not directly relevant to employment law since it involves a property accident rather than workplace issues. However, it does illustrate the challenges people faced in the 1800s when trying to hold property owners responsible for injuries. Workers today have much stronger protections through workers' compensation laws and workplace safety regulations that didn't exist in 1889.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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