Court Opinion

ID: 9575108
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:11:37.522399+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:02.408614
License: Public Domain

CARTER, J., Dissenting.
I dissent. I am unable to agree with that portion of the opinion of the majority of the court holding in effect that the burden was on the plaintiff to prove knowledge on the part of the defendant that the board or plank which broke and resulted in injury to the plaintiff was defective or in a dangerous condition. In my opinion, it was a question of fact for the jury to determine from the evidence as to whether or not the defendant exercised ordinary care in placing the board or plank in question across the stair-well to be used by those desiring to cross said well. It may be that defendant was not required to provide a means for respondent or other invitees to the building to cross said well, but when such means were provided by the defendant, it was required to use ordinary care in the selection of the material and in the manner in which the material was placed to provide the means of passing across said well.
Proof having been established that the plank or board in question was provided by the defendant, the question of whether or not the same was adequate for that purpose, was a question for the jury to determine.
Let us suppose, for example, that the defendant had actually constructed a passageway across said stair-well for its employees and invitees to use, and the same was so defectively constructed that it gave way when plaintiff was crossing, and he was injured thereby, there would appear to be little doubt but that defendant was guilty of negligence, and unless there was some proof of contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, the latter would be entitled to recover against the defendant. The mere fact that the passageway provided was somewhat meager and improvised should not change the situation.
In my opinion the question of whether or not the defendant was guilty of negligence in providing the passageway in *628question and whether or not the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence in using the same, were both questions of fact for the jury, and both of these issues having been decided by the jury in favor of the plaintiff, their determination should be conclusive on this court.
In my opinion the judgment of the trial court should be affirmed.
Rehearing denied. Carter, J., and Peters, J., pro tern., voted for a rehearing.