Saunders v. Howard Realty Co.

This is a civil action to recover for injuries sustained by the plaintiff who tripped and fell because of an alleged defect in a public sidewalk in front of the defendants’ premises. It is founded upon the erroneous notion that an owner or occupant of land owes the public a duty to keep an abutting public sidewalk in good repair and condition. Our law does not impose that obligation. Therrien v. First Nat’l Stores, Inc., 63 R.I. 44, 49, 6 A.2d 731, 733 (1939); Sneeson v. Kupfer, 21 R.I. 560, 561, 45 A. 579, 579 (1900). This is not to say that a landowner or occupant will escape liability if…