Reed v. Styron

NOBLE, Justice.

This appeal results from a jury verdict for defendant in an action for injuries received by plaintiff in falling down a stairway in the Albuquerque store of Montgomery Ward & Company. We shall refer to the parties as they appeared in the lower court except that Montgomery Ward & Co. will be referred to as “Wards.”

The stairway connecting the second and third floors had become worn, and defendant, an independent contractor, had been employed by Wards to repair the stairs. Defendant placed new stair treads of fir boards over the worn treads. Plaintiff was a salesman in the…