Opinion

Hartig v. American Ice Co.

  • 290 Pa. 21
  • 137 A. 867
  • 1927 Pa. LEXIS 609
Court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Filed
Apr 20, 1927
Status
Published
Author
Schaffer
On the bench
Moschzisker, Frazer, Walling, Kephart, Sadler, Schaffer
Cited by
77 cases
Authority
More cited than 0.6%

The opinion

Dissenting Opinion by

Mr. Justice Schaffer:

I agree that the court below should be permitted to grant a new trial and think that this course ought to be pursued, and I concur in much else said in the opinion of the majority, but I cannot assent to the views there expressed as to the rule laid down in Lonzer v. Lehigh

*38

Valley R. R. Co., 196 Pa. 610, 613 , in which, we held that “when the testimony is not in itself improbable, is not at variance with any proved or admitted facts, or with ordinary experience, and comes from witnesses whose candor there is no apparent ground for doubting, the jury is not at liberty to indulge in a capricious disbelief,” and that the trial court should not allow them an opportunity to do so. I believe this rule, when applied in full vigor at the trial of cases, aids the administration of justice, and that where the case of a plaintiff rests solely upon a presumption, the presumption should go down before evidence of facts to the contrary given by witnesses whose integrity is not assailed. In my opinion, “There can be no presumption as against facts which are clearly proven”: Zotter v. Lehigh Valley R. R. Co., 280 Pa. 14, 21 , and cases there cited.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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