LEWIS H. SAUNDERS, APPELLANT,
v.
BENJAMIN KAPLAN, D/B/A OLD MEXICO, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 1958-03-13
No. 57-207
CARROLL, CHAS., C. J., and HORTON, J., concur.
101 So. 2d 181 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (1958) Positive Treatment
Cited by 44 cases

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Holding

The court held that the plaintiff's deposition did not conclusively demonstrate contributory negligence as a matter of law, thus summary judgment was improper.


Facts & Procedural History

Plaintiff slipped and fell on a wet dance floor in defendant's dimly lit cocktail lounge shortly after a rain shower. The defendant's waitress had jus…

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Opinion of the Court
PEARSON, Judge.

PEARSON, Judge.

Appellant Saunders, who was plaintiff below, seeks reversal of summary final judgment entered in favor of appellee, Kap-lan, doing business as “Old Mexico.” The defendant’s business establishment was a cocktail lounge with an outside dance patio. The action was for personal injuries allegedly caused by an unsafe condition, i. e., rainwater or in the alternative, a wet slippery substance on the dance floor. The court had before it at the time of the entry of the summary final judgment the complaint, the answer and the discovery deposition of the plaintiff taken by the defendant. In the judgment, the trial judge found specifically that from the evidence submitted the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as a matter of law.

The only point to be determined is whether the deposition of the plaintiff admitted facts which under the circumstances so conclusively demonstrated he did not exercise ordinary care for his own safety, that reasonable men could not differ from that conclusion. Any doubt in this determination must be resolved for the plaintiff and in favor of a trial of the issue. Brightwell v. Beem, Fla.1956, 90 So.2d 320, 323.

We find that the lack of ordinary care was not so conclusively demonstrated by the deposition of the plaintiff.

It is recognized that summary judgments must be cautiously granted in negligence cases. The issues of negligence and contributory negligence are ordinarily for a jury’s determination. Southern Express Co. v. Williamson, 66 Fla. 286, 294, 63 So. 433, 436, L.R.A.1916C, 1208; Turner v. Modern Beauty Supply Co., 152 Fla. 3, 6, 10 So.2d 488, 490.

*183In the instant case we are not concerned with the issue of negligence, since a finding of contributory negligence presupposes the existence of negligence on the part of the defendant. Winner v. Sharp, Fla.1949, 43 So.2d 634, 636. See’ also 38 Am.Jur. 853, Negligence, § 177 and cases cited therein.

The facts as related by the plaintiff in his deposition were that upon the evening of the accident the plaintiff entered the defendant’s cocktail lounge shortly after a shower of rain. The interior was very dimly lit. He observed one of the waitresses using a mechanism, commonly referred to as a squeegee, to remove the water from the terrazzo or cement floor. An orchestra provided by the defendant was playing dance music and a printed sign invited patrons to dance. After the waitress put away the squeegee, she stated in response to plaintiff’s question, that patrons were now permitted to dance. Shortly after beginning to dance the plaintiff slipped to the floor and injured his knee.

The appellee suggests that this case is governed by the decisions in the cases of Clyde Bar, Inc. v. McClamma, 152 Fla. 118, 10 So.2d 916 and Chambers v. Southern Wholesale, Fla.1956, 92 So.2d 188. In the first case mentioned the plaintiff, therein, fell on the slippery floor of a barroom. The opinion does not give us a full statement of the facts; however, it is stated that it did not appear the danger was in any way hidden. The accident certainly occurred in the day time because it was stated that the plaintiff spent almost an entire night in the bar partaking of whiskey and beer, and that she left about six o’clock in the morning and returned shortly thereafter to have breakfast. The case was decided after a full trial and all witnesses had been heard. The Supreme Court found that no actionable negligence was shown. In the instant case the plaintiff had just entered the premises, and had not previously visited the establishment for eighteen months. The area was dimly lit. He was permitted, invited and the music provided may have urged him to dance. We find that reasonable men might under such circumstances have concluded he was excused from a close inspection of the dance floor provided and prepared by the drying operation for use. See also Rainbow Enterprises v. Thompson, Fla.1955, 81 So.2d 208.

In the Chambers decision, supra, the plaintiff slipped and fell upon water which had accumulated on a public sidewalk due to the melting of a block of ice delivered by the defendant. A summary judgment was entered for the defendant ice company and the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment. It was pointed out in the opinion that the puddle was in plain view and was clearly visible by daylight, and the court found that the presence of water on a public sidewalk is not unusual. Under these facts it was held [92 So.2d 190] “* * * jn ^he absence of circumstances that would justify her failure to apprehend and avoid the danger, she is barred by her contributory negligence from recovering damages against the defendants.” As further pointed out in the last mentioned opinion “These cases arise in a wide variety of factual situations and each must be considered in the light of its own facts.” Considered in the light of the facts that the plaintiff in the instant case was an invitee in a place of public amusement, that it was dimly lit, and further that he may have been led by the actions of defendant’s agents to believe it was safe to use the facilities provided, we are constrained to hold that the issue of contributory negligence should not have been tried upon a motion for summary judgment.

Reversed.

CARROLL, CHAS., C. J., and HORTON, J., concur.


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Citator

Cited By (22 total)

  • Ahearn v. Fla. Power & Light Co., 129 So. 2d 457 (Fla. 2d DCA 1961)
    …l judge is confined in directing a verdict and to which we are confined in considering the cause on appeal. Ordinarily, issues of negligence or contributory negligence comprise questions to be determined by a jury. Saunders v. Kaplan, Fla.App.1958, 101 So. 2d 181. A court, in exercise of its power to direct a verdict, should use caution and should never grant a motion for the same unless under no view which the jury might lawfully take of the evidence favorable to the adverse party could a verdict for that p…
  • Bowen v. Manuel, 144 So. 2d 341 (Fla. 2d DCA 1962)
    …g due to his failure to use the available means to inform himself. The issue of contributory negligence is one that should generally be decided by the jury rather than in a summary manner by the Court, 23 Fla.Jur. 354; Saunders v. Kaplan, Fla.App., 101 So. 2d 181; Deane v. Johnston, Fla., 104 So. 2d 3, 65 A.L.R.2d 957; Alessi v. Farkas, Fla. App., 118 So. 2d 658; Sneed v. City of West Palm Beach, Fla.App., 128 So. 2d 166, especially when the issue arises on a statement of facts from which reasonable men migh…
  • Ormsby v. Ginolfi, 107 So. 2d 272 (Fla. 3d DCA 1958)
    …in this case by that and other rules of law applicable to motions for summary judgment, we conclude that the summary judgment herein was erroneously granted. Cf. Gordon v. Hotel Seville, Inc., Fla.App., 105 So. 2d 175; Saunders v. Kaplan, Fla.App., 101 So. 2d 181. Appellees contend that plaintiff’s testimony to the effect that she was “shook up” is susceptible to the conclusion that she was aware, at the time she executed the release, of possible injuries to her person as a result of the accident, and from…

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