Vilas v. Vanderbilt

A buzz-saw is an indispensable machine, but nevertheless an open menace to all who approach it without care, particularly while it is in operation. The fact is so obvious and well known as to have become common knowledge to an extent that is proverbial, and it is not negligence to omit to warn a person of ordinary intelligence concerning the danger when it is "at once apparent on mere casual observation. In McCann v. Mathison, 12 Misc. Rep. 214, it was held that omission to instruct a minor employee of the age of fourteen as to the danger of working a buzz-saw will not render the employer…