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IN A COMPREHENSIVE DECISION ANALYZING THE ELEMENTS OF PROOF IN A SLIP AND FALL CASE, INCLUDING EXPERT OPINION EVIDENCE, THE 1ST DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE DEFENDANT STORE DEMONSTRATED IT DID NOT HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE OR ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF A PUDDLE OF WATER IN FRONT OF AN ICE MACHINE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, in an unusually detailed and comprehensive decision, went through all the factors relevant to slip and fall cases, including expert opinion evidence, and determined defendant store was entitled to summary judgment. Plaintiff allegedly slipped and fell on water in front of an ice machine. The defendant demonstrated the area had been inspected an hour and a half before the fall and no one had complained about water on the floor. Therefore defendant did not have constructive or actual notice of the condition:

Defendants … established that the water was not on the floor for a sufficient period of time to charge them with having constructive notice that it was there. The porter averred that she inspected the area at about 8:23 a.m., or about an hour and a half before the accident and did not record any hazards. The deposition testimony of both plaintiff and his wife establish that the water puddle that caused plaintiff’s fall was clear and without any footprints or marks … . …

Defendants sustained their burden of making a prima facie showing that they had no actual notice of the water on the floor before the accident. Defendant store manager Luisi testified that he was unaware of any complaints about the area which were made before the accident.

Plaintiff’s expert affidavits failed to raise a triable issue of fact as to whether defendants were negligent. First, the standards cited are couched in advisory terms and there is no evidence that they are an adopted and implemented industry standard or a generally accepted safety practice … . Although evidence of industry practice and standards is admissible to establish a duty of care, the expert affidavit fails to raise a triable issue of fact because it contains nothing more than conclusory opinions with respect to a deviation from an alleged industrywide practice of placing cones and absorbent rubber mats or carpets in front of ice freezers … . Velocci v Stop & Shop, 2020 NY Slip Op 06372, First Dept 11-5-20

 

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