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Court Reverses Result In Case Of Dark Stairs

MONROE (AP) - A woman attending a memorial for her ex-husband was looking for a bathroom when she opened the wrong door, fell down the stairs and was injured in Monroe County. But the Michigan appeals court says those dark stairs are not the fault of the homeowners.

Monroe County Judge Joseph Costello Jr. had ruled in favor of Lorna Schlecht, recalling his son once had mistakenly done the same thing. "Boom, down the stairs you go," the judge said.

But the appeals court, in a 3-0 decision last week, said the stairwell and darkness would not be hidden dangers to an average person.

The three-judge panel ruled in favor of David and Suzanne Doom and dismissed a lawsuit stemming from the 2009 incident.

© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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