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Accident Unforeseeable as a Matter of Law

The First Department reversed Supreme Court’s denial of summary judgment and held that the accident was unforeseeable as a matter of law.  The plaintiff fell off a “setback roof” which was accessible only by climbing through the window of plaintiff’s friend’s apartment:

An accident is unforeseeable as a matter of law where the conduct or chain of events was so extraordinary that the defendant’s duty did not extend to preventing it … . Here, given the nature and location of the setback, it was unforeseeable that individuals would choose to access it, and thus defendant had no duty to guard against such an occurrence … . Powers v 32 E 31 LLC, 2013 NY Slip Op 02846, 1st Dept, 4-25-13

 

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