The court in a recent Minnesota case noted there is a distinction between willful and wanton negligence and gross negligence. The plaintiff in the case purchased a home alarm system. Later, the defendant alarm company received a low-temperature alarm but failed to contact the plaintiff or any of the account’s contacts. Later, the low temperature caused a pipe to burst, resulting in damage.
A recent case in the state of Rhode Island dealt with the issue of when “the firefighter’s rule” applies. The plaintiff was a firefighter who filed a negligence action against a hospital and a security company. They, in turn, filed a motion for summary judgment claiming that the suit was barred by the firefighter’s rule. The Superior Court agreed with the defendants and granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment. The firefighter appealed.
