Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Soldano v. O'DANIELS Case Brief

California Court of Appeal1983Docket #1974024
141 Cal. App. 3d 443 190 Cal. Rptr. 310 37 A.L.R. 4th 1183 1983 Cal. App. LEXIS 1539

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: A bartender refused to let a patron use the business’s phone to call police about a man being threatened nearby. The man was killed. The court found the business had a duty not to interfere with the attempt to summon aid.

Legal Significance: Establishes a narrow exception to the common law “no duty to aid” rule. A business open to the public may not refuse use of its phone to a person seeking to summon aid for another in imminent peril, creating a duty of non-interference.

Soldano v. O'DANIELS Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Darrell Soldano was threatened and subsequently killed at Happy Jack’s Saloon. Before the killing, a patron from Happy Jack’s entered the Circle Inn, a restaurant across the street owned by defendant O’Daniels. The patron informed the Circle Inn’s bartender that a man was being threatened at Happy Jack’s and requested to use the telephone to call the police, or that the bartender call for him. The bartender refused both requests. Shortly thereafter, Soldano was fatally shot. The telephone was assumed to be located in a public portion of the Circle Inn, and allowing its use would have incurred no risk or cost to the defendant. Soldano’s son filed a wrongful death action against O’Daniels, alleging negligence based on the bartender’s refusal to permit the call. The trial court granted summary judgment for the defendant, finding no legal duty existed, and the plaintiff appealed.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a business establishment have a legal duty to permit a third party to use a telephone in a public portion of the business to summon emergency aid for a specific individual known to be in imminent danger of physical harm?

Yes. The court reversed the summary judgment, holding that the defendant’s employee Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint oc

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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Legal Issue

Does a business establishment have a legal duty to permit a third party to use a telephone in a public portion of the business to summon emergency aid for a specific individual known to be in imminent danger of physical harm?

Conclusion

This case is a significant precedent that creates a limited, situational duty Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in

Legal Rule

While the common law generally imposes no duty to aid another in Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia des

Legal Analysis

The court acknowledged the traditional common law distinction between misfeasance (action) and Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur ad

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Flash Summary

  • A business establishment has a duty to permit a person to
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat

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