Title: Cherry v. Cherry

State: minnesota

Issuer: Minnesota Supreme Court

Document:

203 N.W.2d 352 (1972) Danele E. CHERRY, a minor, by John R. Wylde, Jr., her guardian ad litem, Appellant, v. Ernest E. CHERRY, et al., Respondents. No. 43317. Supreme Court of Minnesota. December 15, 1972. Douglass, Bell, Donlin, Shultz & Petersen and Thomas J. Lyons, St. Paul, for appellant. Rider, Bennett, Egan, Johnson & Arundel and David J. Byron, Minneapolis, for respondents. Heard before KNUTSON, C. J., and OTIS, KELLY, and GUNN, JJ. *353 KELLY, Justice. Plaintiff is an infant who has brought suit against her parents for personal injuries received when she was 8½ months old. The trial court directed a verdict for defendants because the alleged negligent act involved an exercise of ordinary parental discretion with respect to the provision of housing and other care. Plaintiff appeals from the district court's denial of her motion for a new trial. We affirm. The facts are well stated in an excellent memorandum by the trial court as follows: This court abrogated the general rule of parental immunity for negligent tort actions in Silesky v. Kelman, 281 Minn. 431, 161 N.W.2d 631 (1968). Parents, however, are still immune from suit "where the alleged negligent act involves an exercise of ordinary parental discretion with respect to provisions of food, clothing, housing, medical and dental services, and other care." 281 Minn. 439, 161 N.W.2d 636. The issue in this case is whether the facts come within the above exception. The act of using an extension cord for a lamp in the living room is, we think, an act of ordinary parental discretion with respect to housing and other care. As such, public policy demands that the parent be immune from claims of negligence. As the Wisconsin Supreme Court said in Lemmen v. Servais, 39 Wis.2d 75, 79, 158 N.W.2d 341, 344 (1968): The trial court's order directing a verdict for defendants was correct. Affirmed. MacLAUGHLIN, J., not having been a member of this court at the time of the argument and submission, took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.