Synopsis of Rule of Law. Plaintiffs may demonstrate the storekeeper had constructive notice of the dangerous condition if they can show that the site had not been inspected within a reasonable period of time so that a person exercising due care would have discovered and corrected the hazard.
However, the basic principle to be followed in all these situations is that the owner must use the care required of a reasonably prudent person acting under the same circumstances.
View Full Point of LawIssue. Did the store breach its duty to keep its premises safe for its patrons by failing to clean up spilled milk?
Held. Yes. A storeowner has a general duty to inspect the premises or take proper action to ascertain their condition, and in the course of exercising reasonable care, if the storeowner discovers a hazardous condition, he is liable for failing to correct it.
Discussion. A storeowner owes its patron a duty to exercise reasonable care in keeping its premises reasonably safe—which involves making reasonable inspections of the premises open to customers and the care required is commensurate with the risks involved. In a self-service grocery store, ordinary care may require the owner to take greater precautions and make more frequent inspections than otherwise would be needed to prevent customers from creating dangerous conditions by moving merchandise.
Furthermore, a plaintiff has the burden to prove that the storeowner had notice of the defect and time to correct it, and need not demonstrate actual knowledge where evidence suggests that the condition was present for a sufficient period of time to charge the storeowner with constructive knowledge of its existence. Circumstantial evidence can be used to prove constructive knowledge, if a plaintiff can show that the site of the dangerous condition had not been inspected within a reasonable period of time so that a person exercising due care would have discovered and corrected the hazard. Therefore, it was a proper question for the jury to determine whether Plaintiff met this burden, and the jury decided in the affirmative.