Summary
In Kowalczuk, supra, the evidence showed that the attack on the plaintiff patron by other patrons took place in the presence of the bartender who failed to call the police.
Summary of this case from Alonge v. RodriquezOpinion
No. 37.
Submitted under sec. (Rule) 251.54 April 3, 1974. —
Decided May 7, 1974.
APPEAL from a judgment of the county court of Milwaukee county: DAVID V. JENNINGS, JR., Judge. Reversed.
The cause was submitted for the appellant on the brief of Edward P. Rudolph of Milwaukee, and for the respondent on the brief of Kluwin, Dunphy, Hankin McNulty of Milwaukee.
This is an action to recover for personal injuries sustained as the alleged result of the defendant's negligent failure to control the conduct of certain of his patrons. Plaintiff Kowalczuk entered defendant's tavern for the purpose of using the restroom. After doing so he approached the bar, ordered a beer, and requested the bartender to call a taxi. He testified that he did this because he was afraid of the other patrons of the tavern, who were all black. Not more than three minutes had elapsed between the time the plaintiff left the restroom and the time he received his beer. The bartender was standing directly in front of him and had just returned to him change from a $5 bill. The plaintiff put the change in his wallet. As he was doing so, he was attacked by two men. He was struck in the head and face. He remembered nothing else until he woke up the next day in the hospital.
A Milwaukee policeman was called as a witness for the plaintiff. He testified he was cruising in a squad car and observed three people beating plaintiff and going through his pockets. These actions were taking place at a point about 80 feet south of defendant's tavern, and at least one hour after the last time when plaintiff could have entered the tavern according to his testimony. Plaintiff's attackers were apprehended. The officer testified that plaintiff was lying on the sidewalk in a semiconscious condition.
Plaintiff also called the defendant as a witness. The defendant testified that on the evening in question there were three employees on duty in the tavern. He was not there. The employees were instructed that if there was any trouble in the tavern they were to call him and they were to call the police.
At the close of plaintiff's case, defendant moved for a nonsuit. From the court's judgment entered pursuant to the trial court's decision granting that motion, plaintiff appeals.
The sole issue raised on this appeal is whether there was sufficient evidence to make out a prima facie case against defendant tavern owner for the negligent failure of his employees to protect the plaintiff patron.
In granting the motion for nonsuit, the trial court stated:
"There is no evidence of any kind in this record that Mr. Rotter is an insurer of the patrons of his establishment. There is no establishment that he knew of any propensities of any of the patrons or that he had any obligation to protect these people unless he did know of some prior condition existed in this tavern."
This case is controlled by Weihert v. Piccione. Weihert laid down the rule that the proprietor of a place of business who holds it out to the public for entry for his business purposes is liable to members of the public while on the premises for such purpose for harm caused by the accidental negligence or intentional acts of third persons, if the proprietor by the exercise of reasonable care could have discovered that such acts were being done or were about to be done and could have protected the members of the public by controlling the conduct of the third persons, or by giving a warning adequate to enable them to avoid harm. The rule of the Weihert Case is now contained in Wisconsin Jury Instruction — Civil, 1374.
(1956), 273 Wis. 448, 78 N.W.2d 757.
When the foregoing rule is applied to the facts in this case, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, the judgment of nonsuit cannot be affirmed. The plaintiff was in the tavern for the business purposes of the owner. He had ordered a beer. He was attacked while at the bar in the presence of a bartender. He was later discovered by a policeman, in a cruising squad car, being beaten by three people on a sidewalk near the tavern. The owner had instructed his employees to call the police in case of trouble, but there is no evidence that they did so. Under Weihert the tavern employees had a duty, when they became aware of the attack, to use such means of protection of the plaintiff as were available. While there is no evidence showing that the employees could have anticipated the attack, once the attack was made it was their obligation to protect the plaintiff from any further injury, if the means were reasonably available to them. The trier of fact could have concluded from the plaintiff's evidence that a telephone call to the police would have deterred the plaintiff's attackers.
As the trial court correctly observed, the plaintiff's credibility was not an issue on the motion for nonsuit. We conclude the plaintiff's evidence established a prima facie case as to liability, and the motion for nonsuit should not have been granted.
By the Court. — Judgment reversed.