Larson v. Calder's Park Co.

180 P. 599, 54 Utah 325, 4 A.L.R. 731, 1919 Utah LEXIS 52
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedApril 11, 1919
DocketNo. 3292
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 180 P. 599 (Larson v. Calder's Park Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Larson v. Calder's Park Co., 180 P. 599, 54 Utah 325, 4 A.L.R. 731, 1919 Utah LEXIS 52 (Utah 1919).

Opinion

WEBER, J.

Laura Richardson, as guardian ad litem of her son, David Larson, eleven years of age, instituted this action in the district court of Salt Lake county against the defendant for the recovery of damages for the loss of the boy’s right eye as a [328]*328result of defendant’s alleged negligence. The case was tried before the court with a jury, and a verdict was rendered in favor of plaintiff, and from the judgment entered thereon defendant appeals.

In his complaint the respondent alleges that he is an infant eleven years of age, and that he sues by his guardian ad litem; that defendant is a Utah’s corporation; that on June 2, 1916, the date of plaintiff’s alleged injury, and for many years prior, appellant was the owner of a pleasure resort or park known as “Wandamere” in Salt Lake City, and that Wanda-mere was widely known as a suitable and safe place for the entertainment of the public and of children; that long before the alleged injury appellant erected a number of buildings at said resort for the use of itself, and its lessees, and concessioners for the purpose of there conducting attractions and amusements for gain and profit and for the entertainment of the public; that appellant had constructed one of the buildings for the purpose of being used as a shooting gallery, where patrons of the resort were permitted for pay to shoot with rifles loaded with gunpowder and leaden bullets at certain targets; that said shooting gallery was constructed by appellant many years prior to June 2, 1916, and during all the time since its construction had been used as a shooting gallery; that the targets used in the shooting gallery were constructed of iron, and that when bullets would strike against them they would glance from the targets and, unless prevented by some suitable and proper protection, would fly from the targets and from the building out to where patrons of the resort were passing by or standing near the shooting gallery, and were liable to strike and injure such patrons; that during all of the time and continuously up to and including June 2, 1916, there existed immediately east of the building in which the shooting gallery was so operated a well-defined and beaten path which had been continuously, frequently, and regularly used, and at the time of the alleged injury was used, by patrons of the park in passing by the shooting gallery building; that appellant carelessly and negligently so constructed the east wall of said building of boards and lum[329]*329ber that» large cracks, lroles, and openings remained therein, through which bullets when they struck against and glanced from the targets would fly out to where patrons were passing along the said path, and that by reason thereof the shooting gallery and premises thereabouts became and were unsafe and dangerous to patrons; that all of these conditions were well known to the appellant; that on April 29, 1916, the appellant leased the resort to parties who organized a corporation known as the Jaekson-Sweeten Amusement Company for the purpose of operating the resort under said lease, and that with the knowledge and consent of appellant the Jaekson-Sweeten Amusement Company, entered into possession of the resort under the conditions described and operated it during the season of 1916; that the lease provided that the lessees were to have complete possession of Wandamere Park, and should have the right and privilege of operating and maintaining all of the attractions and amusements which were ordinarily and usually there maintained and operated; that at the time the lease was executed, and when the park was taken possession of by the Jaekson-Sweeten Amusement Company, the building in which the shooting gallery had been operated was one of the buildings of said resort, and the shooting gallery operated as above set forth was one of the attractions and amusements operated by the lessees, and that the unsafe condition of the building continued while in the possession of the lessees as it had been for many years before the lease; that during the season of 1916 the resort was widely advertised by the Jaekson-Sweeten Amusement Company, which induced the teachers of the public schools of Salt Lake City to hold their “field day” for the public schools of the city at said resort on June 2, 1916, the pupils being given free admission on said date; that respondent was one of those to whom free admission was given to the resort, and that while there on the date mentioned he passed along the path referred to, and that at that time some patron of the gallery shot at the targets and a bullet so shot from the rifle glanced from the target and passed through a hole or crack in the east wall of the gallery and struck the respondent in his right eye, and as a [330]*330result of the accident his eye was destroyed and its removal became necessary.

Appellant, in its answer, admitted the age of the respondent, the corporate existence of the appellant, its ownership of Wandamere Park, and that it executed the written lease set out in the complaint. All the other allegations of the complaint were denied in the answer.

The material allegations of the complaint were supported by substantial evidence. It was shown that the shooting gallery had been operated since 1909; that the building was old even at that time; that the east wall constructed of boards had holes, cracks, and openings therein, and that this condition had existed for some years. One of the boards taken from the wall and introduced in evidence as an exhibit is literally peppered with bullets and fragments of bullets. On the east of the shooting gallery, north and south, there was a ditch with running water next to the wall of the gallery, and also a passageway, which some of the witnesses described as a well-defined track; others speak of it as a well-beaten path; all who testified on the subject said that it was often used as a passageway, particularly on important days. By the terms of "the lease it was provided that the lessees expend certain sums of money in improvements and repairs, but nothing was said about the shooting gallery. They agreed to keep all the buildings used for attractions in good repair, and at all times to employ competent assistance and help in maintaining the attractions, and, in case of any accident giving rise to an action for personal injury by reason of the operation and maintenance of the park, the lessees agreed to defend any action brought and to hold the lessor harmless. The lessees were also given the right to sell concessions and give persons the right to operate attractions at the park.

The appellant maintains that from the evidence it is plain that the building or structure used as a shooting gallery was not in any sense inherently dangerous, and that whatever danger, if any, there was to patrons, arose wholly from the negligence of the lessees and their sublessees in installing and operating an apparatus for a shooting booth, and from their [331]*331neglect to take any reasonable precaution to prevent patrons from coming in close proximity to the targets placed and used in said gallery.

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Bluebook (online)
180 P. 599, 54 Utah 325, 4 A.L.R. 731, 1919 Utah LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/larson-v-calders-park-co-utah-1919.