Case brief summary
To win a negligence case, someone must show the other side had a duty, broke it, and caused their injury. If the injured person was more than half at fault, they get nothing.
Facts
Lesa Hunt, a prisoner, got only brief training on a snowblower from an inexperienced guard. She reached into a clog not knowing the blades could still move, and it partially cut off three fingers.
Procedural history
Hunt sued the state prison agency in Ohio's Court of Claims. The judge first held a trial to decide fault, then a separate trial to decide how much money she should get.
Issue
Did the prison fail to use reasonable care in training and supervising Hunt on the snowblower, and if so, how much of the blame for her injury belongs to her instead of the prison?
Holding
The court found the prison negligent for giving inadequate safety training, but also found Hunt forty percent responsible for putting her hand in the machine, so her damages were reduced accordingly, resulting in an award of $10,800.
Reasoning
The court said the prison failed to properly warn Hunt that the blades could keep moving, but she also used poor judgment by reaching in. Both shared blame, with the prison more at fault.
Opinions
Majority (Strausbaugh): The prison breached its duty to properly train and warn the inmate about snowblower dangers, but the inmate was also forty percent at fault, reducing her award to $10,800.