MISLEVELED SIDEWALK WAS A NON-ACTIONABLE TRIVIAL DEFECT.
The Second Department, in this slip and fall case, determined the misleveled sidewalk was an non-actionable trivial defect:
“A defendant seeking dismissal of a complaint on the basis that the alleged defect is trivial must make a prima facie showing that the defect is, under the circumstances, physically insignificant and that the characteristics of the defect or the surrounding circumstances do not increase the risks it poses. Only then does the burden shift to the plaintiff to establish an issue of fact” … . Here, the defendant established, prima facie, that the alleged defect that caused the injured plaintiff to fall was trivial and therefore not actionable. In support of its motion, the defendant relied upon, inter alia, the injured plaintiff’s deposition transcript, as well as photos identified and marked by the injured plaintiff showing in detail the alleged defect as it existed at the time of the subject accident. Considering the photographs, which showed the height and extent of the alleged defect, along with the injured plaintiff’s description of the time, place, and circumstance of the injury, the defendant established, prima facie, that the alleged defect was trivial as a matter of law and, therefore, not actionable … . Fasone v Northside Props. Mgt. Corp., 2017 NY Slip Op 02966, 2nd Dept 4-19-17
NEGLIGENCE (SLIP AND FALL, MISLEVELED SIDEWALK WAS A NON-ACTIONABLE TRIVIAL DEFECT)/SLIP AND FALL (SLIP AND FALL, MISLEVELED SIDEWALK WAS A NON-ACTIONABLE TRIVIAL DEFECT)/SLIP AND FALL (SLIP AND FALL, MISLEVELED SIDEWALK WAS A NON-ACTIONABLE TRIVIAL DEFECT)/TRIVIAL DEFECT (SLIP AND FALL, MISLEVELED SIDEWALK WAS A NON-ACTIONABLE TRIVIAL DEFECT)