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Well, that didn’t take long. Barely two weeks after the March 26, 2015 East Village explosion that leveled several buildings on Second Avenue, the first (to my knowledge) lawsuit arising out of the incident has been filed. The lawsuit, captioned Bauermeister et al v. Con Edison et al (Bx. Supreme Ct. # 21868/2015E), was filed initially in…
Read More $40M East Village Explosion/Collapse Lawsuit
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A recent Appellate Division decision, Valverde v. Great Expectations, LLC (decided March 31, 2015) is an example of a defense failure to make a prima facie showing to summary judgment in a personal injury premises liability case. The court affirmed the lower court’s denial of defendants’ motion, without considering plaintiff’s responsive papers. From the opinion: Defendants…
Read More Questions re Notice Result in Denial of Summary Judgment in Golf Path Trip/Fall Case
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In DiGiacomo v. Town of Babylon (App. Div. 2nd Dept. Jan. 28, 2015), the Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed the denial of defendant’s motion for summary judgment. Here are the facts of this personal injury case, the six-year old plaintiff was injured when she fell from a “monkey bar”. According to her testimony: [P]rior to her accident,…
Read More “Monkey Bar” Playground Injury Case Continues
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The combination of large groups of people, alcohol, and other factors may result in a dispute that escalates into violence. This is possible in, among other places, New York bars and clubs. These establishments frequently employ security personnel and/or bouncers to keep the peace. However, what happens when one is injured by one of these…
Read More Bouncer Battery: Patrons’ Rights
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In Pion v. New York City Hous. Auth. (App. Div. 1st Dept. Feb. 10, 2015), the Appellate Division, First Department affirmed the denial of defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s complaint. In this personal injury premises liability lawsuit, plaintiff alleged that he was injured when he tripped and fell down a staircase in defendant’s building.…
Read More “Trap” Stairway Trip-Fall Case Continues
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Construction sites can be dangerous – not only for workers, but also for pedestrians. In Porteous v J-Tek Group, Inc. et al., a personal injury case, plaintiff sued to recover “damages for injuries he sustained when a falling piece of wood struck him in the head as he was walking on the sidewalk in front of…
Read More Plaintiff Struck by Falling Wood May Continue Personal Injury Case Against Building Owner and Independent Contractor
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In Negroni v. Langsam Prop. Servs. Corp. (App. Div. 1st Dept. Jan. 29, 2015), the court affirmed the denial of defendants’ motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff’s complaint. In this personal injury (premises liability) case, plaintiff alleged that she was injured when the kitchen ceiling in her apartment collapsed. Defendants were not entitled to summary…
Read More Ceiling Collapse Personal Injury Premises Liability Case Continues
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In Fisher v. Kasten, decided January 21, 2015, the Appellate Division, Second Department dismissed plaintiff’s slip-and-fall case on the basis of the so-called “storm-in-progress” rule. Plaintiff alleges that in February 2011, he was “injured after slipping and falling on an icy condition on the landing of an exterior stairway of the apartment building in which…
Read More Court Applies “Storm in Progress” Rule to Dismiss Slip-and-Fall Case
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In Williamson v Ogden Cap Props., LLC, decided January 27, 2015, the Appellate Division, First Department affirmed the denial of defendant’s summary judgment motion, permitting plaintiff’s claims to continue. From the decision: Defendants failed to make a prima facie showing that they lacked constructive notice of the alleged defective mailbox panel, because it is undisputed…
Read More Failure to Inspect Alleged Defective Mailbox Panel Results in Continuation of Postal Worker’s Personal Injury Case
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Cellar doors are a ubiquitous aspect of New York City life. As illustrated by a recent tragedy in which a man who apparently fell to his death through a cellar grate at 1281 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, they can be dangerous – even deadly. Property owners are required to maintain their property in a reasonably…
Read More Cellar Door Injuries