Walker v. St. Vincent dePaul

Plaintiff sued defendant store for damages for personal injuries incurred when a chair upon which she was standing tipped. Defendant moved for a directed verdict on the ground that plaintiff failed to prove negligence, and the motion was denied. The jury found for plaintiff and defendant appeals.

Plaintiff, a woman of 63, was a customer in defendant’s self-service store. Plaintiff wanted to buy a puzzle which was on a shelf almost higher than plaintiff could reach. A clerk suggested that plaintiff stand on a nearby chair. “Plaintiff got the chair, got on it, secured the puzzle, ‘turned around…