Lockwood v. Bradford

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Lockwood v. Bradford, 229 Pa. 13 (Pa. 1910)
77 A. 1098; 1910 Pa. LEXIS 544
Brown, Elkin, Fell, Potter, Stewart

Lockwood v. Bradford

Opinion of the Court

Per Curiam,

The plaintiff was injured by falling on the sidewalk of a city street. The walk was constructed of hemlock planks nineteen years before the accident. There was no proof of an actual notice to the city authorities of the defective condition of the walk, but there was testimony to the effect that its general condition because of the decay of the planks and the stringers to which they were spiked, was such as to require constant supervision and frequent repairs; that some decayed planks were removed a short time before the accident and other defective planks were left with the expectation that they would last a few months longer; that at the place of the accident several planks had been loose for a week; that the plank that broke when the plaintiff stepped on it was loose and so decayed from the under side that it fell in pieces when removed from the walk. This testimony was sufficient to take the case to the jury on the ground of constructive notice.

The judgment is affirmed.

Reference

Status
Published
Syllabus
Negligence — Municipality — Pedestrian — Defective sidewalk — Constructive notice — Board loalk. In an action against a municipality for damages for personal injuries received from a fall on the board sidewalk of a city street, where there is testimony that the general condition of the board walk was such as to require constant supervision and frequent repairs, that some decayed planks were removed a short time before the accident and other defective planks were left, that at the place of the accident several planks had been loose for a week, and that the plank which broke when plaintiff stepped on it was loose and so decayed from the under side that it fell in pieces when removed from the sidewalk, the evidence is sufficient to take the case to the jury on the ground of constructive notice.