Goddard v. Boston & Maine R.R. Co.
Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, 1901
179 Mass. 52, 60 N.E. 486
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Brief Fact Summary
Plaintiff slipped on a banana peel on defendant's railway platform. The banana peel was most likely dropped by another passenger in the crowd just moments before the plaintiff slipped on it, and would have been difficult if not impossible for the defendant's employees to spot.
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Edited Opinion
Note: The following opinion was edited by CVN Law School staff. © 2012 Courtroom Connect, Inc.
OPINION BY: HOLMES, J.
[Action against a railroad for injury received by slipping on a banana peel. Plaintiff claims the defendant was negligent in maintaining the premises, and was the proximate cause of his injury]
The banana skin upon which the plaintiff stepped and which caused him to slip may have been dropped within a minute by one of the persons who was leaving the train. It is unnecessary to go further to decide the case.