Orton v. Markward & Karafilis, Inc.

Plaintiff Susan Orton, as administratrix of her husband’s estate, recovered a judgment for the death of her husband against defendant prime contractor, Markward and Karafilis, Inc., on a construction project. The decedent, an employee of third-party defendant Detroit Elevator Company, fell five stories to his death from a moveable "material hoist” owned by Markward and attached to the structure of the building under construction. Plaintiffs basic theory was that the hoist was negligently maintained in an unsafe condition and that it was not equipped with safety devices required under state…