Title: Darling v. Central Vermont Public Service Corp.

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

Darling v. Central Vermont Public Service Corp. (98-519); 171 Vt. 565;
762 A.2d 826

[Filed 21-Sep-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER
	
                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 98-519

                              MARCH TERM, 2000

Elizabeth A. Darling, Daniel Darling,	}	APPEALED FROM:
Rebecca Caffery and Susan Caffery	}
                                        }
                                        }	Windsor Superior Court
v.					}
                                        }
                                        }	DOCKET NO. 102-3-97 Wrcv
Central Vermont Public Service          }
Corporation	                        }							
					}
                                                Trial Judge: Richard W. Norton	

						
             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Plaintiffs Elizabeth and Daniel Darling, and Rebecca and Susan Caffery
  (the Darlings) appeal  from a judgment entered in Windsor Superior Court
  following a jury verdict in favor of defendant  Central Vermont Public
  Service Corporation (CVPSC).  According to the Darlings, electricity 
  escaped from nearby storm-damaged power lines, set fire to their rented
  house and garage, and  destroyed all of their personal belongings.  The
  Darlings sued CVPSC, alleging negligence and strict  product
  liability. (FN1)  The court refused to instruct the jury to apply the
  doctrine of strict product  liability, and the case was sent to the jury
  solely on the theory of negligence.  The jury returned a  special verdict
  finding the Darlings seventy-seven percent negligent and CVPSC twenty-three 
  percent negligent.  Consequently, the court entered judgment for CVPSC. 
  See 12 V.S.A. § 1036  (comparative negligence); Howard v. Spafford, 132 Vt.
  434, 438,