Witherspoon v. Owen

Nov 4, 1959
236
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
OuRiam
Per OuRIAm.

Conceding defendant’s duty to protect his patrons against foreseeable assaults ‍​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‍by ‘others, the patron also had a duty not to needlessly expose himself to danger. Here plaintiff and defendant had ‍​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‍equial knowledge. Apparently nothing had transpired which would indicate plaintiff could not descend in safety. So far as appears, the ‍​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‍others ahead of him had done eo. But if the conditions were such as to warn defendant that plaintiff might ‍​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‍be .assaulted if he attempted to descend, these conditions gave equal warning to plaintiff. He could no more ignore the ‍​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‍dangerous condition, if it existed, than could defendant.

Affirmed.

HiggiNS, J., not .sitting.