Broussard v. Louisiana
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Plaintiff Paul Broussard sued the State for damages he sustained from an accident caused by a misaligned elevator. After a three-day trial, a jury returned a verdict in Broussard’s favor, finding the offset between the elevator and lobby floors presented an unreasonable risk of harm. The district court reduced Broussard’s damages in proportion to his assigned percentage of fault. The court of appeal held the jury’s factual determination that the elevator’s defective condition presented an unreasonable risk of harm was manifestly erroneous because the defect was open and obvious, and reversed. The Supreme Court granted
Broussard’s writ to further examine, under the manifest error doctrine, whether a defective condition is more properly considered an open and obvious hazard where no duty is owed, rather than an unreasonably dangerous condition where comparative fault is applicable. After reviewing the applicable law and the record in its entirety, the Court found the jury’s unreasonable risk of harm determination was not manifestly erroneous. Accordingly, the Court reversed the court of appeal and reinstated the District Court's judgment in its entirety.
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