Goddard v. Boston & Maine R.R. Co.

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

60 N.E. 486 (1901)

Relevant factsFree

Goddard (plaintiff) slipped on a banana peel on a Boston & Maine Railroad (defendant) platform and sued for negligence; the trial court granted the railroad a directed verdict, and Goddard appealed.

IssueFree

Whether a plaintiff can maintain a negligence claim without proving the defendant was actually negligent, where the record does not establish how long a dangerous condition existed before causing injury.

Holding & reasoning

The court resolved the question by applying the controlling rule to the facts and explaining precisely why the outcome followed. Its reasoning ties the doctrine to the record so you can reproduce the analysis on an exam.

Procedural history, concurrence & dissent

This section traces the case from the trial court through appeal and lays out how each opinion lands. Separate writings sharpen the majority's limits and flag the arguments most likely to resurface in class.

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