Orlowski v. Jackson State Prison

Plaintiff appeals from an order in the Michigan Court of Claims, granting defendants’ motion for accelerated judgment.

On August 9, 1969, Arthur Orlowski was an inmate at Jackson State Prison. On that day he was taken from his regular job as a cook and recruited to help detain a fire that had broken out on the prison grounds. He was placed in a prison truck with other inmates and was being transported to the immediate area of the fire, when the accident occurred.

Plaintiff alleges that as a consequence of the negligent operation of the motor vehicle, i.e., the negligent latching of the tailgate…