Chapman v. Fritzche

This appeal arises out of a wrongful death action. The jury returned a verdict in plaintiff’s favor but awarded only one dollar in damages. On motion of the defendant the trial court granted a directed verdict in favor of the defendant.

The plaintiff is the mother and administrator of the estate of Randall Scott Chapman, her five-year-old son, who drowned when he fell through the ice in Lily Lake, a small lake in McHenry County.

The land adjacent to the lake is owned by the defendants. However, they do not own the lake. The plaintiff, her husband and her children rented a small house on the…