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Slip and Fall Action Based On “Trivial Defect” Dismissed

In affirming the dismissal of a personal injury action in which the plaintiff alleged she fell when she stepped on a one-inch wide and one-half-inch deep hole on the edge of a step, the Second Department wrote:

A property owner may not be held liable for trivial defects, not constituting a trap or nuisance, over which a pedestrian might merely stumble, stub his or her toes, or trip … . In determining whether a defect is trivial, the court must examine all of the facts presented, including the “width, depth, elevation, irregularity and appearance of the defect along with the time, place and circumstance of the injury” … .  *  *  * The plaintiff testified at her deposition that the semi-circular hole was one inch in diameter, half an inch deep, and located at the edge of the step. She used the staircase all the time, and she never had a problem traversing the area prior to the accident. Under the circumstances presented here, the alleged defect did not possess the characteristics of a trap or nuisance, and was trivial and, therefore, not actionable … . Maciaszek v Sloninski, 2013 NY Slip Op 02722, 2nd Dept, 4-24-13

 

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