Van Welden v. Ramsay's Inc‪.‬

The opinion of the court was delivered by This was an action for damages resulting from injuries sustained from a fall down the stairs extending from the first floor to the basement of a retail department store. The defendant, Ramsay's Inc., operates a retail department store in Atchison, Kansas. The store building has a basement floor which is reached from the first floor by a stairway facing to the west. The stairway extends ten steps down to a landing, makes a turn and continues a few more steps to the basement floor. There is a handrail for the entire length on the south side of the stairway. The handrail starts at floor level on the north side. The stairs are made of oak with metal nosing on the foreward edge of the treads held down with counter sunk screws.