Court Opinion

ID: 9457920
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 20:37:56.850378+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:35:34.477937
License: Public Domain

HAYS, Circuit Judge (concurring):
I concur in the opinion of the court. The district court’s opinion, by Judge Oakes, now of this court, analyzed the Vermont law of assumption of risk, and denied defendant’s motion for judgment non obstante veredicto on the ground that,
“To a business visitor are owed certain duties — duties to keep premises reasonably safe. When those duties are not met there is negligence. The risk of unsafe premises is not assumed by business visitors .... Business visitors may, however, be guilty of contributory negligence, by acting unreasonably under the circumstances.”
(Emphasis added; footnote omitted). The district court concluded that Dooley v. Economy Store Inc., 109 Vt. 138, 194 A. 375 (1937) does not represent the present Vermont law on the issue of assumption of risk by a business invitee. A comparison of the factual situations in Cameron v. Abatiell, 127 Vt. 111, 241 A.2d 310 (1968), Smith v. Monmaney, 127 Vt. 585, 255 A.2d 674 (1969), and Forcier v. Grand Union Stores, Inc., 264 A.2d 796 (Vt.1970) with Dooley suggests that Dooley has in effect been overruled by subsequent decisions. See also Wool v. Larner, 112 Vt. 431, 26 A. 2d 89 (1942); Wakefield v. Levin, 118 Vt. 392, 110 A.2d 712 (1954); Wall v. A. N. Derringer, Inc., 119 Vt. 36, 117 A.2d 390 (1955); Killary v. Burlington-Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, Inc., 123 Vt. 256, 186 A.2d 170