Opinion ID: 1149006
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Boyle v. Board of Supervisors , LSU

Text: Because of its extreme similarity, we are initially guided by this Court's recent decision in Boyle, 685 So.2d at 1080, and a brief discussion of that case is warranted. In Boyle, the lower courts had found that a ½ to 1 inch height variance in a sidewalk joint on the LSU campus was an unreasonably dangerous defect. The lower courts, however, failed to apply a risk-utility analysis in arriving at that conclusion. Pretermitting the issue of the proper standard of review, this Court, after applying a risk-utility analysis, found manifest error and reversed. In doing so, the Court weighed the risk of the relatively small depression in the sidewalk joint against the sidewalk's social utility, including the cost of repair. Along with the size of the defect, the Court also considered as a factor the accident history of the alleged defect. The depression was located in a high traffic area and the plaintiff's fall was the first reported. After pointing out the clear usefulness of sidewalks, the Court then found that it would be unreasonable to expect the defendant to maintain all of its sidewalks (more than 22 miles) in such a perfect condition as to avoid the complained-of defect. After weighing the substantial utility, including cost of repair, against the minimal risk of the relatively small depression, the Court held that it was not an unreasonably dangerous defect and that it was manifest error to so find.