THE ALLEGATION THE LEAD CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY NOT ENOUGHT TO DEFEAT LEAD CAR’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION.
The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the owner of the lead car struck from behind was entitled to summary judgment. The allegation the lead car stopped suddenly was not sufficient to raise a question of fact:
A rear-end collision with a stopped or stopping vehicle establishes a prima facie case of negligence on the part of the driver of the rear vehicle, and imposes a duty on the part of that driver to “come forward with an adequate nonnegligent explanation for the accident” … . A claim by the rear driver that “the lead vehicle made a sudden stop, standing alone, is insufficient to rebut the presumption of negligence” … . Bajrami v Twinkle Cab Corp., 2017 NY Slip Op 01458, 1st Dept 2-23-17
NEGLIGENCE (THE ALLEGATION THE LEAD CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY NOT ENOUGHT TO DEFEAT LEAD CAR’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION)/TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS (REAR-END COLLISIONS, THE ALLEGATION THE LEAD CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY NOT ENOUGHT TO DEFEAT LEAD CAR’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION)/REAR-END COLLISIONS (THE ALLEGATION THE LEAD CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY NOT ENOUGHT TO DEFEAT LEAD CAR’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION)