Swartz v. Sears, Roebuck and Co.

PRESIDING JUSTICE GORDON

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff filed a negligence action after she was injured when she slipped on a puddle and fell in the service area of defendant’s auto service center. Plaintiff sought damages, alleging that the fall aggravated her preexisting multiple sclerosis. A jury awarded plaintiff $2,275,000 in damages but reduced the award by 50%, finding that plaintiff’s actions constituted contributory negligence. On appeal, defendant argues that the trial court erred in refusing to grant a directed verdict in its favor because plaintiff slipped on…