Opinion

Straley v. Calongne Drayage & Storage, Inc.

  • 337 So. 2d 887
  • 1976 La. App. LEXIS 3422
Court
Louisiana Court of Appeal
Filed
Aug 31, 1976
Status
Published
Author
Redmann
On the bench
Gulotta, Lem, Lemmon, Mon, Redmann, Samuel, Stoulig
Cited by
3 cases
Authority
More cited than 25.4%

The opinion

REDMANN, Judge

(dissenting).

The mangled arm of plaintiff can only have been struck by the top beam of the falling elevator. Defendant building owner — the designer and manufacturer of the elevator, which had a “vice in its original construction,” C.C. 2322 — “knew” of the defects within R.S. 9:3221, and therefore cannot escape liability by having the employer-lessee assume it. This jack-leg, erector-set elevator was a menace, and fell to “ruin” within C.C. 2322; Adamson v. Westinghouse Elec. Corp., La.App.1970, 236 So.2d 556 .

Contributory negligence is not a defense to the strict liability imposed on the owner by C.C. 2322.

(Furthermore, it is doubtful that plaintiff, a 19-year-old, can fairly be held con-tributorily negligent. The reasonably prudent 19-year-old would not have foreseen the danger resulting from his actions.)

We should affirm on liability and decide the quantum question.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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