Court Opinion

ID: 9689212
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:24:47.318062+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:46.086923
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Justice
(concurring specially).
Although I generally agree with the majority opinion, I cannot embrace the discussion regarding invitees, public invitees, or business visitors or any general adoption of the Restatement on those topics. For all of the reasons stated in Chief Justice Wuest’s1 special concurrence in Hofer v. Meyer, 295 N.W.2d 333 (S.D.1980), I would abolish the distinctions of trespasser, licensee and invitee as the controlling factor in determining the standard of care owed to an entrant by a land occupier.
Further, I agree with the author’s well-reasoned conclusion in Comment, Premises Liability: A Proposal to Abrogate the Status Distinctions of “Trespasser, ” “Licensee” and “Invitee” as Determinative of a Land Occupier’s Duty of Care Owed to an Entrant. 33 S.D.L.Rev., 66, 89 where he states:
The common law premises liability classification scheme, which graduates the duty of care owed by a land occupier to an entrant according to the entrant’s status of ‘trespasser,’ ‘licensee’ or ‘invitee,’ has outlived its useful purpose. Changes in social mores, humanitarian values and societal living arrangements warrant abrogation in South Dakota of the traditional status distinctions as determinative of the scope of duty of care owed by occupiers to entrants and compel adoption of the more progressive and flexible standard of reasonable care under the circumstances. Were the South Dakota Supreme Court to undo what the common law courts have done poorly, South Dakota would stand to gain much. Land occupiers must be admitted to full membership in the fellowship of those acknowledging adherence to the neighb-ourly duty of reasonable care.
See also Comment, The Business Inviter’s Duty to Protect Invitees from Third-Party Criminal Attacks on the Premises: An *205Overview and the Law in South Dakota After Small v. McKennan Hospital, 33 S.D.L.Rev. 90.2
Our cases are outdated and antiquated, and like other jurisdictions we need to reexamine these issues in light of more modern times.

. At that time he was a circuit judge sitting for a disqualified justice.

. I strongly recommend a reading of these articles by anyone desiring a fine analysis of the topics presented.