THE DRIVER OF THE CAR IN WHICH PLAINTIFF WAS A PASSENGER MADE A LEFT TURN INTO TO THE PATH OF DEFENDANT’S ONCOMING CAR WITHOUT CHECKING FOR ONCOMING TRAFFIC; DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (THIRD DEPT).

​The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant driver’s motion for summary judgment in this traffic accident case should have been granted. The driver of the car in which plaintiff was a passenger attempted a left turn in front of defendant’s vehicle without checking for oncoming traffic:

On this record, defendant established his prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the complaint by submitting evidence that Ryan failed to yield the right-of-way and turned directly into the path of his vehicle … . Thus, the burden shifted to plaintiff to demonstrate a triable issue of fact on the issue of defendant’s comparative fault. Plaintiff failed to do so. Ohl v Smith, 2023 NY Slip Op 01823, Third Dept 4-6-23

Practice Point: The driver of the car in which plaintiff was a passenger made a left turn into the path of defendant’s car without checking for oncoming traffic. There was no evidence of comparative fault on defendant’s part. Defendant’s motion for summary judgment should have been granted.