Order Michigan Supreme Court
Lansing, Michigan
November 10, 2011 Robert P. Young, Jr.,
Chief Justice
142965 Michael F. Cavanagh
Marilyn Kelly
Stephen J. Markman
Diane M. Hathaway
SANDRA NYLAND and CHARLES NYLAND, Mary Beth Kelly
Plaintiffs-Appellees, Brian K. Zahra,
Justices
v SC: 142965
COA: 295464
Muskegon CC: 09-046520-NO
KMART,
Defendant-Appellant,
and
WILSON-64, L.L.C.,
Defendant.
_________________________________________/
On order of the Court, the application for leave to appeal the March 17, 2011
judgment of the Court of Appeals is considered, and it is DENIED, because we are not
persuaded that the question should be reviewed by this Court prior to the completion of
the proceedings ordered by the Court of Appeals.
ZAHRA, J. (concurring).
I concur in the order denying defendant’s application. I write separately because
this case represents a unique scenario in which there exists a genuine issue of material
fact in regard to whether an icy condition presents an unreasonable risk of harm that is
not open and obvious to casual inspection.
In March of 2007, plaintiff exited defendant’s store at about 9:00 a.m. and slipped
on a patch of ice that was underneath dirt. There is no dispute that the ice itself was not
visible. One of defendant’s employees reported that after the accident he found “ice just
outside of the door [that] was covered by a layer of dirt.” There was also testimony that
the dirt had not been intentionally placed over the ice but had accumulated naturally. In
addition, the record reflects that it was sunny, had not snowed for several days, and the
parking lot and the area around the entrance were otherwise clear of ice and snow.
Importantly, these existing weather conditions did not suggest there was a slippery patch
of ice outside the store. This is not a case where snow covers a walkway and itself warns
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invitees of the potential slipping hazard; there was absolutely nothing about the weather
conditions or the dirt patch to warn plaintiff of a potential ice hazard. Accordingly, I
agree with the Court of Appeals that there exists a genuine issue of material fact whether,
under these circumstances, a reasonably prudent person would foresee the icy condition
upon casual inspection and that summary disposition in this case was improper.
I, Corbin R. Davis, Clerk of the Michigan Supreme Court, certify that the
foregoing is a true and complete copy of the order entered at the direction of the Court.
November 10, 2011 _________________________________________
t1108 Clerk