Civil Jury Instructions Home

3.9-4  Status of Parties - Invitee

Revised to January 1, 2008

An invitee is one who either expressly or impliedly has been invited to go on the premises of the defendant.  An invitee goes upon the premises at the express or implied invitation of the possessor for the possessor's benefit or for the mutual benefit of both.  One who goes upon land in the possession of another as a business visitor is an invitee.

If you find that the plaintiff was an invitee, then the defendant owed (him/her) the following duties:

1. the duty to use reasonable care to inspect and maintain the premises and to make the premises reasonably safe;

2. the duty to warn or guard the visitor from being injured by reason of any defects that the invitee could not reasonably be expected to discover;

3. the duty to conduct activities on the premises in such a way so as not to injure the visitor.

Authority

Fleming v. Garnett, 231 Conn. 77, 83-84 (1994); Warren v. Stancliff, 157 Conn. 216, 218 (1968); cf. Morin v. Bell Court Condominium Assn., Inc., 223 Conn. 323, 327 (1992).

Notes

The standard of care owed to a social invitee is the same as the standard of care owed to a business invitee.  General Statutes § 52-557a.