Woman hurt at holiday event gets lump of coal from court

DEARBORN (AP) — The Michigan Court of Appeals says there’s nothing negligent about dark streets at an annual holiday event that takes people back to Christmas in the 1800s.

The court upheld a decision to dismiss a lawsuit by a woman who fell on a curb and fractured her knee during Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. The streets are illuminated by candles and lanterns.

Carrie LeTourneau says she fell while approaching Santa Claus in December 2014. She says she missed the curb because of a large crowd and darkness.

But the appeals court said using bright lights “would entirely destroy” the ambience. The court says, “Holiday Nights was quintessentially a nighttime experience.”