Volkswagen of America, Inc. v. Costello

**What Happened** A worker was injured on property connected to Volkswagen of America and sued the company for negligence and unsafe premises. The key dispute was whether Volkswagen was legally responsible for maintaining safe conditions on the property where the injury occurred. This depended on whether VW was considered to be "in possession" of the property (meaning they controlled it) or "out of possession" (meaning they didn't have direct control), which affects their legal duties to keep workers safe. **What the Court Decided** The Delaware Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial. While they agreed with the lower court that there was enough evidence for a jury to decide whether VW controlled the property, they found that the trial judge gave incorrect instructions to the jury. The judge only explained the legal standards for property owners who are "in possession" but failed to explain the different, more limited responsibilities for those who are "out of possession." **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling emphasizes that property control determines safety responsibilities. Workers should understand that different parties may have varying legal duties to maintain safe working conditions depending on who actually controls the workplace property.