Burkowske v. Church Hospital Corp.

In the early afternoon of June 28,1977, appellant and her mother went to the appellee hospital to visit a patient. As visiting hours had not yet commenced, they repaired to the waiting room where there were located several benches supplied by the hospital for its visitors. The mother, a large woman weighing about 350 pounds, sat on one of the benches without incident. Appellant purchased some soda and then joined her mother. As she sat down on the other end of the bench, it suddenly collapsed, causing her to fall and injure herself. Several hospital employees assisted her in walking to the…