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ALTHOUGH PLAINTIFF HERSELF MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF HER SLIP AND FALL, HER DAUGHTER, WHO WITNESSED THE FALL, PROVIDED SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO WARRANT DENIAL OF DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s (New York City Housing Authority’s, NYCHA’s) motion for summary judgment in this slip and fall case should not have been granted. Plaintiff’s daughter, who witnessed the fall, provided sufficient evidence of the sidewalk defect:

“If a plaintiff is unable to identify the cause of a fall, any finding of negligence would be based upon speculation”  … . “That does not mean that a plaintiff must have personal knowledge of the cause of his or her fall” … . “It only means that a plaintiff’s inability to establish the cause of his or her fall — whether by personal knowledge or by other admissible proof — is fatal to a cause of action based on negligence” … . …

In support of its motion, NYCHA submitted a transcript of the deposition testimony of the plaintiff’s daughter, Galina Moiseyeva (hereinafter Galina), who testified that she saw the plaintiff fall because of a “crack” or “gap” in the sidewalk, which made the sidewalk a “different level.” Further, Galina, who lived with the plaintiff in the premises abutting the sidewalk, testified that she walked along the sidewalk while traveling to and from work, and was previously aware of the alleged crack in the sidewalk. Contrary to NYCHA’s contentions, the alleged failure of the plaintiff and Galina to identify the exact location of the plaintiff’s alleged fall on a photograph shown at their depositions and hearings pursuant to General Municipal Law § 50-h, which photograph was taken the day after the alleged accident occurred and after NYCHA had allegedly covered the subject part of the sidewalk with plywood, did not establish, prima facie, that the plaintiff is unable to identify the cause of her fall. Under the circumstances, NYCHA failed to eliminate triable issues of fact as to whether the plaintiff fell due to the alleged defective condition of the sidewalk … . Moiseyeva v New York City Hous. Auth., 2019 NY Slip Op 06766, Second Dept 9-25-19

 

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