Lyons v. Midnight Sun Transportation Services, Inc.
Alaska Supreme Court
928 P.2d 1202 (Alaska 1996)
Relevant factsFree
A truck driven by Jette for Midnight Sun (defendant) struck and killed Esther Hunter-Lyons after she pulled out in front of it from a parking lot, and Jette swerved but couldn't avoid the collision; her husband (plaintiff) sued for negligence, and the trial judge instructed the jury on the "sudden emergency doctrine," after which the jury found Jette negligent but concluded his negligence wasn't the legal cause of her death, absolving Midnight Sun. Lyons appealed the sudden-emergency instruction.
IssueFree
Whether the "sudden emergency doctrine" defines the standard of care required in exigent circumstances.