Steward v. McDonald

Ray Thornton, Justice.

The issue in this case is whether a landlord owes a duty of care to his tenant’s employees. Appellants William T. Steward and Jeannine G. Steward (“Landlords”) leased a building to appellee Professional Services Industries, Inc. (PSI). PSI employed appellee Jerry Eugene McDonald, who was injured when a riser broke while he was carrying boxes weighing approximately 120 pounds up a flight of stairs in the leased building. The stairway did not have a handrail at the time the injury occurred. After the accident, McDonald received benefits under the Arkansas Workers’…