Susan M. Marshall, et al. v. William J. O'Keefe

Personal Injuries - On August 1, 1992, the plaintiff attended a wedding reception at
Walko's Talk of the Town Restaurant in Plainville. The plaintiff is the groom's
sister-in-law. Also present were the defendants William O'Keefe and Jason O'Keefe, who
are the bride's father and brother; Kirk Marshall, the plaintiff's husband; Kathy Berry and
Gregory Berry, the groom's sister and brother-in -law; Lovey Fasci, the plaintiff's
mother-in-law; and Stephen McDougall, a cousin of the plaintiff's husband.

At about 10p.m., William O'Keefe and his wife, who are the bride's parents, were dancing
when they exchanged words with the Berrys. Gregory Berry, feeling that his spouse had
been spoken to rudely, came to her defense and confronted William O'Keefe. Jason
O'Keefe, apparently thinking that his sire was being threatened, shoved Berry, causing him
to fall to the floor. The plaintiff claimed that during the course of Berry's fall, a table and
the chair on which she was sitting tipped over, causing her to sustain injuries.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendants.

None

None

The decision was affirmed by the Appellate Court of Connecticut. See: 740 A.2D 909 (Conn.App 1999). Note: The date above reflects the date of the appellate decision and not the original trial date. Reported by EMDH.