Opinion ID: 1807187
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Negligence of the parties.

Text: Appellant contends that the verdict is contrary to law in that the respondent was, as a matter of law, more negligent than the appellant, and refers to Erdmann v. Frazin (1968), 39 Wis. 2d 1, 158 N. W. 2d 281, and Cossette v. Lepp (1968), 38 Wis. 2d 392, 157 N. W. 2d 629. In these cases this court held that where a violation of the safe-place statute is found, there is a presumption that the injury is caused by the violation. Appellant argues that because the jury found the respondent negligent under the safe-place statute, the injury is presumed to be caused by that negligence and the respondent is therefore more causally negligent than appellant, as a matter of law. Under the authority of Erdmann and Cossette, once it is established that the owner of a public building is negligent in violation of the safe-place statute, the plaintiff need not prove causation, and the burden of proof is on the owner to rebut the presumption of causation. That presumption, however, does not determine the apportionment of causal negligence. As applied in this case, the presumption alleviated the necessity of the plaintiff proving that the negligence attributed to the defendant was a  substantial factor in causing her injuries. It does not, however, establish as a matter of law that the negligence of the defendant was greater than that of the plaintiff. The apportionment of the causal negligence attributed to each of the parties was a determination properly within the province of the jury. Moreover, in Lovesee v. Allied Development Corp. (1970), 45 Wis. 2d 340, 346, 173 N. W. 2d 196, this court held that, in comparison of negligence, negligence founded upon the safe-place statute does not necessarily contribute more than common-law contributory negligence.