Mark R. Cook v. Frederick B. Hoppin

HARLINGTON WOOD, JR., Circuit Judge.

Plaintiff-Appellant Mark R. Cook (“Cook”) brought this diversity action to recover for injuries he sustained while at an apartment complex in Lincoln, Illinois. Cook had travelled to Lincoln from Indiana to attend a friend’s wedding. While in Lincoln, Cook had made arrangements to stay at the apartment of Larry and Debbie Alley. The apartment complex was owned by Defendant-Appellee Frederick B. Hop-pin (“Hoppin”).

At trial, Cook testified that he fell while climbing an exterior stairway that led to the Alleys’ upstairs apartment and landed on a concrete…