Legal Opinion
Sowers v. Tri-County Telephone Co., Inc.
Indiana Supreme Court
Decided November 29, 1989No. 12S02-8911-CV-877PublishedCited by 7 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
ON PETITION TO TRANSFER
SHEPARD, Chief Justice.
The question presented is whether a telephone utility has a duty to render safe the area of land necessary to service its poles so as to protect business invitees who work on the poles. We hold that the utility has a duty of reasonable care to such invitees but that the plaintiff’s evidence in this case pointing toward a breach of that duty was insufficient to withstand the utility’s motion for summary judgment. The trial court was thus justified in finding for the utility.
In June 1984, Tri-County Telephone Company hired the Covered Bridge Tree…
2Cases cited6 opinions
- Wingett v. Teledyne Industries, Inc.Indiana Supreme Court · 1985
- Hammond v. AllegrettiIndiana Supreme Court · 1974
- Swett v. Village of AlgonquinAppellate Court of Illinois · 1988
- Lawson v. Howmet Aluminum Corp.Indiana Court of Appeals · 1983
- Louisville Cement Co. v. MumawIndiana Court of Appeals · 1983
1 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by7 opinions
- Douglass v. IrvinIndiana Supreme Court · 1990
- Duffy v. Ben Dee, Inc.Indiana Court of Appeals · 1995
- Jones v. Indiana Bell Telephone Co.Indiana Court of Appeals · 2007
- Rawls v. Marsh Supermarket, Inc.Indiana Court of Appeals · 2004
- Sowers v. Covered Bridge Tree ServiceIndiana Court of Appeals · 1992
2 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.