Court Opinion

ID: 9696810
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 18:59:11.835499+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:26.814557
License: Public Domain

Dissenting statement by
OLSZEWSKI, Judge:
I join in the Dissenting Opinion by Judge Beck. I write separately merely to state my belief that the assumption of the risk defense has not been abrogated in all circumstances. Today we merely question whether the defense is viable where, as here, the jury is presented with evidence regarding the plaintiffs voluntary but unreasonable conduct. Under such circumstances, I believe Judge Beck steers the wiser course. In particular, I agree with Judge Beck that the relationship between the parties was not that of landowner-invitee, and thus, that Carrender v. Fitterer, 503 Pa. 178, 469 A.2d 120 (1983) is not controlling.1 Accordingly, based upon the reasoning of the Dissenting Opinion as well as the reasoning set forth by our colleagues on the federal bench, see, e.g., Smith v. Seven Springs Farm, Inc., *429716 F.2d 1002 (3d Cir.1983) (Aldisert, J.); Vargus v. Pitman Manufacturing Co., 510 F.Supp. 116 (E.D.Pa.1981) (Weiner, J.), aff'd, 673 F.2d 1301 (3d Cir.1981); Jones v. M.T.D. Products, Inc., 507 F.Supp. 8 (M.D.Pa.1980) (Nealon, C.J.), aff'd, 649 F.2d 859 (3d Cir.1981), I respectfully dissent and would affirm the judgment.

. I find it noteworthy that our Supreme Court has recently cited Carrender for the proposition that a landowner owes no duty to protect an invitee from an obvious and avoidable harm. See Ferencz v. Milie, 517 Pa. —, —, 535 A.2d 59 (1987).