DEFENDANT CAR RENTAL COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT CASE WAS PROPERLY DENIED; QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER COMPANY KNEW AN UNLICENSED DRIVER WOULD USE THE CAR.

The Fourth Department, over a two-justice dissent, determined defendant’s motion for summary judgment in this negligent entrustment case was properly denied. Plaintiff alleged the defendant car rental company (BAR) knew or should have known that an unlicensed driver (Kirksey) would drive the car (which was rented to defendant Jones). The dissent argued that knowledge an unlicensed driver would use the car does not amount to knowledge the car would be driven by an incompetent driver:

The fact that Kirksey did not possess a driver’s license is a factor to consider in determining whether BAR knew that Kirksey was incompetent to operate the vehicle … . While we agree with the dissent that “the absence or possession of a driver’s license is not relevant to the issue of negligence” in the operation of a motor vehicle … , this is a negligent entrustment cause of action, where the issue does not concern the manner in which the accident occurred. Rather, the issue is whether BAR should have entrusted the vehicle to Kirksey in the first instance. Graham v Jones, 2017 NY Slip Op 00835, 4th Dept 2-3-17

NEGLIGENCE (NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT, DEFENDANT CAR RENTAL COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT CASE WAS PROPERLY DENIED; QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER COMPANY KNEW AN UNLICENSED DRIVER WOULD USE THE CAR)/NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT (NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT, DEFENDANT CAR RENTAL COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT CASE WAS PROPERLY DENIED; QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER COMPANY KNEW AN UNLICENSED DRIVER WOULD USE THE CAR)/TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS (NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT, DEFENDANT CAR RENTAL COMPANY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS NEGLIGENT ENTRUSTMENT CASE WAS PROPERLY DENIED; QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER COMPANY KNEW AN UNLICENSED DRIVER WOULD USE THE CAR)