Court Opinion

ID: 9445532
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 21:32:01.183394+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:18.793732
License: Public Domain

TUTTLE, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
As is shown by the statement of facts in the majority opinion taken from appellant’s brief, the vegetable particle on which appellant slipped was dropped on the floor not by appellee or its agents but by other customers. On this state of facts I think the Florida law is still as stated in Carl’s Markets v. Meyer, 69 So.2d 789 at pages 791-792, quoted in the opinion. There the court drew a distinction between the placing of trash on the floor of the store by the owner or his agents and the dropping of such trash by others. In the latter instance the court said it must be shown that the store owner had actual or constructive notice. The case of Brisson v. W. T. Grant Co., 79 So.2d 771, does not change this rule since the cause of the injury there was a seat protruding into the aisle of defendant’s store, a condition of which the defendant was bound to have had notice. The adoption of the Palm Beach Kennel Club doctrine in that type of case is logical because in the Palm Beach Kennel Club case the injury was alleged to have been due to the action of the Club in permitting the placement of bottles in the aisles, thus giving immediate constructive notice of the existence of a dangerous condition.
I think that the rule in Florida still requires the showing of negligence, and absent any evidence of notice, or notice implied from the length of time the particles were on the floor, no negligence can be inferred by the jury in this type of case.
I would affirm.
Rehearing denied; TUTTLE, Circuit Judge, dissenting.