Rosa v. Dunkin’ Donuts of Passaic
New Jersey Supreme Court
583 A.2d. 1129 (1991)
Officer Jose Rosa (plaintiff) responded to a medical emergency at Dunkin' Donuts of Passaic (defendant) after an employee fell unconscious. While carrying the unconscious employee out on a stretcher, Rosa slipped on spilled confectioner's sugar and was injured. Rosa sued Dunkin' Donuts for negligently failing to keep its floor clean; the trial court dismissed the claim under the fireman's rule, and the court of appeals agreed that the rule barred the suit even though the sugar was unrelated to the medical emergency itself.
Whether the fireman's rule bars liability for injuries arising from ordinary acts of negligence that firefighters or police officers should expect to encounter in the normal course of duty.