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EVEN PHYSICALLY SMALL DEFECTS, IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER FACTORS, CAN CONSTITUTE A DANGEROUS CONDITION, DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined that the expert opinion submitted by both sides raised questions of fact whether “beveled edge between the dance floor and the adjoining rug” created a dangerous condition in this slip and fall case. The court noted that even physically small defects can become dangerous in combination with other factors, including lighting:

The Court of Appeals has recognized that even a physically small defect may be actionable, such as where there is a jagged edge, a rough, irregular surface, the presence of other defects in the vicinity, or poor lighting, or if the defect is located where people are naturally distracted from looking down at their feet … . Attention to the specific circumstances is always required, and undue or exclusive focus on whether a defect is a trap or snare is not appropriate … . …

The plaintiffs submitted the expert affidavit of a professional engineer who inspected the dance floor and carpet area. He measured the static coefficient of friction of the beveled edges of the dance floor, and found that they did not provide proper slip resistance for an individual stepping on it while dancing. Additionally, he found that inadequate lighting contributed to the accident by “not providing visual clues to recognize that the dance floor had terminated with the subject metal edging.” … .

Given the conflicting expert affidavits, and the circumstances of the accident, there are triable issues of fact as to whether the beveled edges of the dance floor constituted a dangerous condition that caused the injured plaintiff to slip and fall … . Poliziani v Culinary Inst. of Am., 2018 NY Slip Op 08519, Second Dept 12-12-18

 

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