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THE 15-YEAR-OLD PLAINTIFF WAS RIDING THE ESCALATOR IN DEFENDANT’S THEATER IMPROPERLY WHEN HE FELL OFF BACKWARDS TO THE FLOOR; THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A DEFECTIVE CONDITION AND PLAINTIFF’S EXPERT AFFIDAVIT WAS SPECULATIVE; THE THEATER’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT). ​

​The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s injury was not the result of a defective condition on defendant movie theater’s property. The 15-year-old plaintiff was sitting on one rail of an escalator with his feet on the other rail and leaning back against the wall as the escalator descended. But the wall came to an end halfway down and plaintiff fell backwards to the floor:

“In order for a landowner to be liable in tort to a plaintiff who is injured as a result of an allegedly defective condition upon property, it must be established that a defective condition existed and that the landowner affirmatively created the condition or had actual or constructive notice of its existence” … . Here, the defendants established, prima facie, that the escalator and the adjacent wall were not in violation of any applicable statutes or regulations and that they maintained their premises in a reasonably safe condition … . In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact as to whether the defendants violated their common-law duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition … . The affidavit of the plaintiff’s expert was speculative and insufficient to raise a triable issue of fact … .  Boris L. v AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 05080, Second Dept 8-31-22

Practice Point: Here plaintiff’s fall from an escalator was caused by the improper way he was riding the escalator, not by any defect in the property. The property owner’s motion for summary judgment should have been granted.

 

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