In Smith v. New York City Housing Authority, a slip-and-fall case decided January 14, 2015, the Appellate Division, Second Department held that the Supreme Court should have denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment. “A real property owner or a party in possession or control of real property will be held liable for injuries sustained in…
Read More Black Ice Slip/Fall Case ContinuesIn Beceren v. Joan Realty LLC, decided January 14, 2015, the Appellate Division, Second Department held that a defendant property owner was entitled to dismissal of plaintiff’s slip-and-fall case. In this case, plaintiff alleged that she was injured when she slipped and fell on water in a vestibule area in Brooklyn apartment building owned or maintained…
Read More Slip/Fall Case Dismissed; “Inherently Slippery” Smooth Floor Was Not An Actionable DefectIn Rodriguez v. County of Westchester, a snow/ice slip-and-fall case, the Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed the denial of the motion for summary judgment filed by the listing broker for the property on which plaintiff fell. Here are the facts, as summarized by the court: The plaintiff allegedly was injured when she fell while walking…
Read More Snow/Ice Slip-and-Fall Case Continues Against Property’s Listing BrokerGrowing up, I spent a lot of time playing “manhunt” with my friends. Thankfully, unlike the plaintiff in a recent case, we never suffered any injuries while playing. Here are the facts of Wolfe v. North Merrick Union Free School District, 2014 NY Slip Op 07499, 122 AD3d 620 (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Nov. 5,…
Read More Plaintiff Injured During Game of “Manhunt” Did Not Assume Risk; Case ContinuesIn Ndiaye v. NEP W. 119th St. LP, a slip-and-fall personal injury case, the Appellate Division, First Department reversed the trial court’s order granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff sued to recover damages for injuries she allegedly suffered when she slipped and fell on ice on the front steps of defendant’s building. Defendant claimed…
Read More Court Rejects “Storm-In Progress” Argument in Reversing Summary Judgment for Defendant in Ice Slip/Fall CaseIn Bencebi v. Baywood Realty, LLC, a stairway-fall personal injury case, the Appellate Division, Second Department reversed the lower court’s order granting summary for defendant. That is, plaintiff’s case continues to trial. Here are the facts: [Plaintiff sued] to recover damages for personal injuries allegedly sustained by her when she fell while descending an interior…
Read More Lack of Handrail Cited in Denial of Summary Judgment to Defendant in Stair-Fall Personal Injury CaseA recent Second Department case, Martino v. Patmar Properties, Inc., illustrates the operation of the summary judgment procedure in a premises liability case. There, the plaintiff’s father was injured when he fell in an apartment he rented from the defendant. The court explained the general law: A property owner has a duty to maintain the property…
Read More Tenant v. Landlord Injury Case ContinuesFrom Mamadou S. v. Feliciano, decided December 23, 2014 by the Appellate Division, First Department: Plaintiff, at the time an eighth grade student, was injured when he darted or was pushed into the street and was hit by a car while playing tag in front of his school. Although the driver of the car was…
Read More Eighth Grade Student Hit By Car May Continue LawsuitIn Ciliotta v. Ranieri, a dog bite case, the Supreme Court, Kings County, dismissed plaintiff’s case, finding that there was insufficient evidence that the dog had “vicious propensities” as required by New York law. It all started with a friendly discussion between neighbors. Involving thrown dog poo and choking: On April 14, 2011, Defendant Nicole…
Read More Brooklyn Dog Bite Case Dismissed Where Protective Dog Was Not Shown to Have “Vicious Propensities”As illustrated by a 1930 First Department products liability case, there are, apparently, worse things than shooting your eye out with a toy gun. Setting yourself on fire, for example. From Crist v. Art Metal Works, 230 A.D. 114, 116, 243 N.Y.S. 496, 497 (App. Div. 1930) aff’d, 255 N.Y. 624, 175 N.E. 341 (1931): Defendant…
Read More Toy Gun Danger