Opinion ID: 2240281
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Remedial Acts

Text: At trial, the plaintiff presented testimony that the city had taken remedial action regarding the power lines crossing Lake Springfield. The city placed warning signs in the area and had placed some of the power lines under water. The issue is whether the circuit court erred in admitting this evidence. In support of the introduction of this evidence, the plaintiff cited Sutkowski v. Universal Marion Corp. (1972), 5 Ill. App.3d 313. Sutkowski held that, in a products liability case, evidence that a product has been changed after the occurrence of an accident is relevant and material in determining that an alternative design was feasible. The appellate court in this case correctly held: Sutkowski is inapposite to the present case. Evidence of the city's remedial acts may have been relevant in a suit against the city, but it clearly has no relevance in determining an alternative design of defendants' Hobie Cat. Nor can we see the relevance of this evidence to any other issue in this case. The trial court's failure to sustain defendants' objections to this evidence was erroneous. 130 Ill. App.3d 241, 245. In concluding the evidence was irrelevant, the appellate court failed to determine whether the error was prejudicial or harmless. While we believe that the introduction of the city's remedial acts was error, we are not convinced that such irrelevant evidence substantially affected the jury's decision. Our conclusion is reinforced by the fact that another jury reached the same decision on virtually the same evidence, even though evidence of the city's remedial acts was not introduced. See Ogg v. City of Springfield (1984), 121 Ill. App.3d 25.