Jury Awards Damages in Sean Kendrick Stairway Fall Case
Table of Contents
Case Background
This case began with an accident at a Meriden home on September 25, 2016. The property at 9 Anthony Terrace belonged to Donna Morley. Sean Kendrick, who lived at the house as a lawful tenant and invitee, claimed that the outside stairs leading to the main entrance were unsafe.
According to Kendrick, one of the steps was broken and unstable. He said it had been neglected for some time, and Morley failed to repair it. On the day of the accident, the step collapsed beneath him, sending him falling backward.
Kendrick filed suit in September 2018. He argued that Morley had a legal duty to keep her property safe for those living there and that her failure to fix the stairs directly caused his fall.
Morley denied this. In her answer to the complaint, she insisted Kendrick was not her guest or tenant. She claimed the house was leased to someone else and that she had no responsibility for the condition of the steps.
Cause
The case revolved around the staircase. Kendrick claimed the collapse of the broken step caused his fall. He said the dangerous condition had existed long before the accident and that Morley either knew or should have known about it.
The defense countered that Kendrick wa
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