Legal Definitions - similar happenings

Definition: Similar happenings are events that occur at a different time than the event in question. They are usually not allowed as evidence, except if they provide relevant information on issues that would be constant, such as the control and conditions of land on the day in question.

Examples:

• A dispute over a car accident that happened on a rainy day. Evidence of other car accidents that happened on different rainy days would not be admissible, but evidence of the condition of the road on the day in question would be relevant.
• A dispute over a slip and fall accident in a grocery store. Evidence of other slip and fall accidents that happened in different stores would not be admissible, but evidence of the store's cleaning procedures and safety measures on the day in question would be relevant.

The examples illustrate that similar happenings are events that are not directly related to the event in question but can provide relevant information on issues that would be constant. In both examples, evidence of similar accidents that happened on different days would not be admissible, but evidence of the conditions and safety measures on the day in question would be relevant to the case.