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THE STATE’S SNOWPLOW DRIVER WAS NOT DRIVING ON A PLOW ROUTE WHEN HE MADE AN ILLEGAL RIGHT TURN AND STRUCK PLAINTIFF’S CAR; THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW 1103(B) “RECKLESS DISREGARD” STANDARD, THEREFORE, DID NOT APPLY; CLAIMANT’S CLAIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing the Court of Claims, determined the State’s snowplow driver was not engaged in work on the highway when it made an illegal right turn on a city street, striking claimant’s car. Therefore the “reckless disregard” negligence standard in Vehicle and Traffic Law 1103(b) was not applicable. The Fourth Department granted the claim and sent the action back for a trial on damages only:

Here, the evidence at trial established that the snowplow driver’s route consisted of a series of exits on I-190 in Buffalo, including the on-ramps and off-ramps, and that he would routinely travel on city streets, including the street on which the accident occurred, to access the next ramp on his route. Inasmuch as the testimony reflects that the snowplow driver did not have the authority to plow or salt city streets such as the one where the accident occurred, we conclude that, at the time of the accident, he “was not driving on part of his plow route but instead was traveling from one part of his route to another by way of a [municipal] road that he was not responsible for plowing” … .

Inasmuch as the snowplow driver admitted that he was aware that he was not permitted to make a right turn against a red light at the subject intersection, admitted that he was aware that other drivers treated that portion of road as having two northbound lanes, and nonetheless elected to make an illegal right turn on red from the left-hand lane, we conclude that the evidence established that the snowplow driver was negligent … . We further conclude that claimant was not contributorily negligent inasmuch as he was lawfully on the roadway and stopped at a red light when struck … . Bushley v New York State Thruway Auth., 2026 NY Slip Op 04686, Fourth Dept 7-24-26

Practice Point: Here the State’s snowplow driver was not driving on a plow route when he made an illegal right turn and struck plaintiff’s car. The “reckless disregard” standard, which would have applied if the snowplow were engaged in work on a plow route, did not apply. Ordinary negligence is the applicable standard.

 

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