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Show rTHE READER'S COURTROOM , Can't Collect ' Bargain Damages I By Will Bernard, LL.B. Ma a Shopper Collect Damages if Knocked Down At a Bargain Sale? A dry goods store ran a month-end month-end sale on bed linen, and got re-1 re-1 suits far exceeding its fondest hopes. A huge crowd gathered and ;', began milling around. Women j screamed, fainted - and even il i climbed up onto the ccunterl Dur- i Ing the excitement, one housewife j was knocked down a stairway. Is a Fire Engine Driver Liable for Reckless Driving? On the way to a fire, a fire engine en-gine sideswiped a parked taxicab. The cabbie was injured, and later sued the fire engine driver for damages. The fireman protested that he was not personally responsible respon-sible for something that happened in the course of his urgent public duty. However, the court ruled that was no excuse and held him liable, for reckless driving. Is a Beekeeper Responsible If His Bees Attack a Mule? A farmer set up a beehive alongside along-side his back fence, right close to the favorite grazing spot of his neighbor's mule. One hot day the bees lit out after the mule and stung him so badly that he died. When the neighbor sued for the value of the beast, the farmer protested that he was not to blame Though not badly hurt, she deter- ' mined to sue the store for damages. ! j She claimed that the company ! i should have taken special measures j to prevent this kind of accident, i ; However, the court rejected her I suit. The judge pointed out that the store had no reason to expect such a violent response to the sale! May a Child Collect Damages If Hurt in a Revolving Door? j A young boy suffered a sprained wrist when he caught it in the revolving re-volving door of a hotel. His parents par-ents sued the management on the ' boy's behalf, claiming that such a door was dangerous because it was j so tempting to children. They in- j ( sisted that the hotel ouht to have a guard posted by the door and to have it locked when the guard wasn't there. However, the court rejected their claim. The judge said it wasn't fair to the hoteL I. ' ": i for what his bees had done. However, How-ever, when he admitted that the same bees had once attacked his own mule too, the court decided to hold him responsible. The judge said that, since the farmer knew his bees wer vicious, he should not have stationed them so close to the neighbor's animaL |