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Massey v. ALLIED PRODUCTS CO., INC.
Citations: 523 So. 2d 397; 1988 Ala. LEXIS 146; 1988 WL 33238Docket: 87-138
Court: Supreme Court of Alabama; March 31, 1988; Alabama; State Supreme Court
Horace Massey filed a personal injury lawsuit against Allied Products Company following a slip and fall incident that occurred on February 20, 1984, while he was on the company's premises to purchase rock. The accident happened in rainy conditions on a non-paved area covered in finely crushed rock, where Massey slipped and broke his hip. He speculated that his fall was caused by rain mixing with an accumulation of motor oil on the gravel, but he could not identify the specific cause of his fall. Massey was classified as a business invitee, entitling him to a reasonable standard of care from the property owner. However, the court noted that property owners are not insurers of invitee safety and that mere injury does not presume negligence. To succeed in his claim, Massey needed to present evidence showing that his fall resulted from a defect or condition on the premises due to the company's negligence, of which the company had or should have had prior knowledge. The court found that Massey failed to produce any evidence supporting his claims of negligence or a breach of duty by Allied Products. As a result, the trial court's decision to grant summary judgment in favor of the defendant was affirmed.