CHILD BURNED BY HOT EMBERS IN A CAMPSITE, NEITHER THE LAST OCCUPANT OF THE CAMPSITE NOR THE LANDOWNER (THE COUNTY) WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT.
The Second Department determined the last occupant of a campsite (Reinoso), as well as the county which owned the campgrounds, were not entitled to summary judgment in and action brought by an eight-year-old boy who was burned when he stepped into a pit of hot coals:
… [T]he plaintiffs raised a triable issue of fact as to whether Reinoso was the party who left the hot embers on the ground … .
Further, it has long been the rule in New York that “[l]andowners in general have a duty to act in a reasonable manner to prevent harm to those on their property” … . “In particular, they have a duty to control the conduct of third persons on their premises when they have the opportunity to control such persons and are reasonably aware of the need for such control”… . Here, the evidence submitted by the County defendants in support of their motion for summary judgment failed to eliminate all triable issues of fact as to whether they exercised “ordinary and reasonable care in maintaining the campgrounds in a reasonably safe condition so as to prevent foreseeable injury” … . Holohan v County of Suffolk, 2017 NY Slip Op 04104, 2nd Dept 5-24-17
NEGLIGENCE (CHILD BURNED BY HOT EMBERS IN A CAMPSITE, NEITHER THE LAST OCCUPANT OF THE CAMPSITE NOR THE LANDOWNER (THE COUNTY) WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT)/MUNICIPAL LAW (COUNTY-OWNED CAMPGROUNDS, CHILD BURNED BY HOT EMBERS IN A CAMPSITE, NEITHER THE LAST OCCUPANT OF THE CAMPSITE NOR THE LANDOWNER (THE COUNTY) WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT)/CAMPGROUNDS (CHILD BURNED BY HOT EMBERS IN A CAMPSITE, NEITHER THE LAST OCCUPANT OF THE CAMPSITE NOR THE LANDOWNER (THE COUNTY) WAS ENTITLED TO SUMMARY JUDGMENT)