Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

23 Pa. Super. 50

Carson v. Mackin

Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Decided May 22, 1903

Superior Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1903-05-22

<p>Appeal, No. 20, April T., 1903,</p> <p>by judgment of C. P. No. 1, Allegheny Co., Dec. T., 1901, No. 667, on verdict for plaintiff in case of Barbara Carson v. Henry Mackin.</p> <p>Trespass to recover damages for personal injuries.</p> <p>At the trial it appeared that on the evening of October 4, 1901, plaintiff fell through a defective cellar door in the sidewalk in front of defendant’s premises on Lacock street, Alle- . gheny. The condition of the door is described in the opinion of the Superior Court. The court submitted the case to the jury.</p> <p>Verdict and judgment for plaintiff for $11,000.</p> <p>Error assigned was in submitting the case to the jury.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently July 1982

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Affirmed · Decided 1903-05-22

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Per Curiam,

¶1The instructions of the court complained of in the second and third assignments of error are open to no possible objection, unless the refusal of the court below to affirm the defendant’s *51point “ that, under all of the evidence in this case, the verdict must be for the defendant ” was erroneous.

¶2Not Only was the evidence for the jury but it was convincing.

¶3The defendant owed a duty to the public to maintain the flat cellar door, which constituted a part of the sidewalk, in a reasonably safe condition. Under the evidence the jury was warranted in finding that if it had been so maintained, the accident would not have happened.

¶4There was also positive evidence of the bad condition of the door; the hinges were rusted off, the screws had rusted off or pulled out, a board in the door itself had disappeared, and so unsafe was the condition of the door that a policeman called special attention of the tenant to it.

¶5Not only did the tenant communicate the complaint to the defendant’s agents but he made complaint on his own account of the bad condition of the cellar door both to the agents and to the defendant himself.

¶6The case was unquestionably for the jury and there can be no legitimate complaint of the manner in which it was submitted.

¶7Judgment affirmed.

/23/pasuper/50 · .json · Public domain