Houle v. Galloway School Lines, Inc.

OPINION

LEDERBERG, Justice.

This civil action came before the Supreme Court on the appeal of Robert N. Houle (plaintiff) from a directed verdict granted by the Superior Court in favor of Galloway School Lines, Inc. (Galloway). A school bus owned and operated by Galloway pursuant to a contract with the town of North Smithfield, Rhode Island (town), was described as the proximate cause of an accident in which the plaintiff was injured. On appeal, the primary issue was whether the public-duty doctrine is applicable to a municipality’s operation of school buses and to the design and operation of…