Goss v. Allen
New Jersey Supreme Court
360 A.2d 388 (1976)
Relevant factsFree
Allen (defendant), a 17-year-old novice skier, lost control on his first short downhill run and crashed into Goss (plaintiff); the trial court instructed the jury to judge Allen by the standard of a reasonably prudent 17-year-old rather than an adult, and the jury found him not negligent. The appellate court reversed, reasoning skiing was an inherently dangerous activity requiring adult standards, and Allen appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
IssueFree
Whether the standard of care in a negligence action is that required of a reasonable person of the same age, intelligence, and experience under the circumstances.