W.R. O'Connell v. Roper Electric Company

This is a suit for personal injuries by a wife and resulting damages to her husband, arising from the wife's slip and fall on an ice-coated driveway which was used as a walkway to a business office. Plaintiffs Annabelle and Robert O'Connell were awarded jury verdicts of $30,000.00 and $7500.00, respectively, against defendant Roper Electric Company, Inc., and the jury exonerated individual defendants Omar Roper and Alma Roper. Defendant Roper Electric Company has appealed from the judgment in favor of the plaintiffs and the plaintiffs have appealed from the judgment entered in favor of the individual defendants. By stipulation of the parties the appeals were consolidated in this court. 1 We affirm the judgment. On January 2, 1970, Omar Roper was the owner of property located at 2218 North Howard, a north-south street in Springfield. He and his wife, Alma, resided in a house which was located near the street and which faced west. Behind the Roper residence was a two-story structure housing Roper Electric Company and which was orally leased to Roper Electric Company by Mr. Roper for $160.00 monthly rental. Mr. Roper was president of Roper Electric Company, Mrs. Roper was vice-president of the corporation, and a son was the secretary-treasurer of the firm. Plaintiff Robert O'Connell was an employee of Roper Electric Company and a brother of Mrs. Roper.