Stokes v. Lyddy

Opinion

SCHALLER, J.

This case presents an issue of first impression. We are asked to decide whether a landlord owes a duty, at common law, to a nontenant who, while at a location away from the leased premises, is bitten by a tenant’s dog.

The plaintiff, Rasha Stokes, appeals from the summary judgment rendered by the trial court in favor of the defendant landlords, Christopher J. Lyddy and Barbara Lyddy. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court improperly granted the motion for summary judgment because (1) under general principles of premises liability, the defendants had a duty to protect…