Waite v. Brown

This is an action to recover damages for injuries to Shirley Waite caused by a fall down an outside stairway when the handrail gave way. The stairs led to the ground from a back porch entrance to the ground floor apartment occupied by the plaintiff and her family in the four-apartment building owned by the defendants. At the close of plaintiff’s evidence, the court granted defendants’ motion for a directed verdict and entered judgment accordingly, whereupon only plaintiff Shirley Waite appealed.

The central issue on this appeal is whether the lower court correctly granted the defendants’…