Charles Coppins v. . the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment, holding the railroad negligent for retaining a switchman who habitually neglected his duties. The court found that such negligence was a proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury and that the engineer's negligence could not excuse the railroad's liability. The decision rests on the principle that a master is liable for a servant's negligence when the master fails to employ competent personnel.