Pilie v. National Food Stores of Louisiana, Inc.

We granted certiorari in this tort action to review the judgment of the Court of Appeal, First Circuit,1 holding that the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur could not be invoked to sustain the plaintiffs’ recovery of damages from the defendants, National Food Stores of Louisiana, Inc., and its insurer. I have concluded that the judgment of the Court of Appeal is correct.

In the late afternoon of Friday, March 11, 1960, while plaintiff, Mrs. Charles S. Pilie, was passing a coca-cola display in the self-service store of National Food Stores of Louisiana, Inc., two six-bottle cartons of coca-cola fell…