Hennessey v. Hennessey

The plaintiff sued for damages sustained in a fall on the floor of the back hall of a house owned by the defendant and occupied as a home by him and a bachelor son whom the plaintiff has since married. The fall occurred at about 11:30 in the evening of August 18, 1955. The plaintiff prevailed, and the defendant has appealed, claiming error in the charge and in the denial of his motion to set aside the verdict as against the evidence.

The court, in accordance with the defendant’s claim, charged that the status of the plaintiff was that of a social guest under the rule of cases such as Laube v.…