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THE JURY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED ON THE IMPLIED ASSUMPTION OF RISK DOCTRINE IN THIS SKIING ACCIDENT CASE, DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO SET ASIDE THE $3,000,000/$15,000,000 VERDICT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; THE DAMAGES AMOUNT IS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE RECORD (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, ordering a new trial, determined defendants’ motion to set aside the verdict should have been granted.  The jury should have been instructed on implied assumption of risk in this skiing accident case involving a nine-year-old novice skier. Plaintiff struck a pole and fractured her femur. The jury awarded $3,000,000 in past damages and $15,000,000 in future damages. If defendants are found liable in the second trial, there will be a trial on damages unless the plaintiff stipulates to $950,000 past damages and $1,250,000 future damages:

… [O]n their motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, the movants failed to establish their entitlement to judgment as a matter of law on the ground that the action was barred by the doctrine of assumption of the risk … . The evidence submitted in support of the motion demonstrated that the injured plaintiff was a nine-year-old novice skier on a bunny slope, which is a part of the ski area specifically designed for beginners who are learning how to ski. The evidence submitted also included the injured plaintiff’s deposition testimony that she believed it was safer to continue beyond the devices than to be struck by a passing skier if she fell. The devices warned skiers to slow down but did not warn them to stop. These facts presented a triable issue of fact as to whether the injured plaintiff was aware of and fully appreciated the risk involved in downhill skiing and the terrain of the bunny slope such that she assumed the risk of injury … .

At the close of the trial on the issue of liability, the Supreme Court denied the defendants’ request to instruct the jury on express assumption of the risk and implied assumption of the risk. While there was no evidence elicited at trial that the injured plaintiff expressly assumed the risk of injury, the evidence did support an instruction on implied assumption of risk. Specifically, a factual issue was presented regarding whether the injured plaintiff assumed the risk of skiing in the area where the PVC pipe was located. Although the injured plaintiff testified that the PVC pipe “blended with the snow,” the pipe had a brightly colored guide-rope attached to it on the day of the accident and was behind warning devices past which the injured plaintiff skiied … . Therefore, the court should have granted the defendants’ request to instruct the jury on implied assumption of the risk. Under the facts of this case, the failure to instruct the jury on implied assumption of the risk is an error warranting a new trial … . Zhou v Tuxedo Ridge, LLC, 2020 NY Slip Op 01206, Second Dept 2-19-20

 

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NOTICE REQUIREMENTS OF RPAPL 1304 NOT PROVEN; PLAINTIFF BANK’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION (SECOND DEPT)

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the proof of compliance with the RPAPL 1304 notice requirements was deficient:

… [T]he plaintiff failed to submit an affidavit of service or any evidence of mailing by the post office demonstrating that it properly served the defendant pursuant to the terms of RPAPL 1304 … . Contrary to the plaintiff’s contention, the affidavit of a representative of its loan servicer was insufficient to establish that the notice was sent to the defendant in the manner required by RPAPL 1304, as the representative did not provide evidence “of a standard office mailing procedure designed to ensure that items are properly addressed and mailed” … , and provided no independent evidence of the actual mailing … . U.S. Bank N.A. v Herzberg, 2020 NY Slip Op 01201, Second Dept 2-19-20

 

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PROOF OF THE VALUE OF THE STOLEN ITEMS WAS INSUFFICIENT; GRAND LARCENY 3RD DEGREE CONVICTION NOT SUPPORTED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department determined the grand larceny third degree charged was against the weight of the evidence because the value of the stolen items was not proven:

The People were required to establish that the market value of the stolen items at the time of the crime exceeded $3,000 (see Penal Law § 155.20[1]). Here, the stolen property consisted of two handguns, several items of jewelry, and a computer tablet. The complainant testified that (1) the purchase price of the .40 caliber Smith & Wesson automatic handgun was $800 and that he purchased it “[a]pproximately four years” before the burglary; (2) the purchase price of the .380 Ruger automatic handgun was $600 and that he purchased it “[t]wo years” before the burglary; and (3) he cleaned both guns regularly, and they were both operable. The People’s ballistics expert testified that the retail value of each firearm was “anywhere from $500 to $1,000.”

However, the only evidence of the value of the remaining stolen items was the complainant’s testimony regarding the purchase price of some of those items, and he did not testify as to when he purchased those items, their market value, or the cost to replace them. Although a “victim is competent to supply evidence of original cost” … , “evidence of the original purchase price, without more, will not satisfy the People’s burden” … . On this record, we cannot conclude that the fact-finder could “reasonably infer, rather than merely speculate” that the value of all of the stolen goods exceeded the statutory threshold of $3,000 … . Accordingly, we find that the evidence was insufficient to establish that the value of the property taken exceeded $3,000 … . People v Rivera, 2020 NY Slip Op 01192, Second Dept 2-19-20

 

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JURY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHARGED ON THE ‘COMBAT BY AGREEMENT’ EXCEPTION TO THE JUSTIFICATION DEFENSE, CRITERIA EXPLAINED; ERROR DEEMED HARMLESS HOWEVER (SECOND DEPT).

Although the error was deemed harmless, the Second Department determined the jury should not have been instructed on the “combat by agreement” exception to the justification defense. Defendant was on a bus when rival gang members got on the bus. Defendant (14 years old) pulled out a gun and shot, killing an innocent passenger:

Supreme Court should not have charged the jury with respect to the combat by agreement exception to the justification defense. The court granted the People’s request for the instruction based upon generalized evidence that the defendant was a member of a gang which had a rivalry with other local gangs, including the gang with which the persons who approached the defendant were affiliated. However, any evidence of an alleged agreement in this case was tacit, open-ended as to time and place, and applicable to all members of the gangs of the parties involved as well as to all members of their affiliate gangs. The combat by agreement exception to justification is generally limited to agreements to combat between specific individuals or small groups on discrete occasions … . As there was no evidence of a combat agreement between the defendant and the specific persons who approached him on the bus, or among rival gang members during a discrete period of time or at a specific location, there was no reasonable view of the evidence that the combat by agreement exception applied to negate a justification defense in this case … . People v Anderson, 2020 NY Slip Op 01179, Second Dept 2-19-20

 

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PLAINTIFF COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF HER STAIRWAY SLIP AND FALL; DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION IN THIS NEGLIGENT MAINTENANCE CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion for summary judgment should have been granted in this stairway slip and fall case. Plaintiff could not identify the cause of her fall and handrails were not required:

In a premises liability case, a defendant moving for summary judgment can establish its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law on the issue of negligent maintenance by showing that the plaintiff cannot identify the cause of his or her accident … . “Although proximate cause can be established in the absence of direct evidence of causation [and] . . . may be inferred from the facts and circumstances underlying the injury, [m]ere speculation as to the cause of a fall, where there can be many causes, is fatal to a cause of action” … . Where it is just as likely that some factor other than a dangerous or defective condition, such as a misstep or a loss of balance, could have caused an accident, any determination by the trier of fact as to causation would be based upon sheer speculation … . Here, in support of its motion for summary judgment, the defendant submitted, inter alia, the transcript of the plaintiff’s deposition testimony. Based upon the plaintiff’s testimony that she did not know what caused her to lose her footing, the defendant established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the complaint on the issue of negligent maintenance … . Gaither-Angus v Adelphi Univ., 2020 NY Slip Op 01147, Second Dept 2-19-20​

 

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PLAINTIFF WAS INJURED ATTEMPTING TO ENTER A BUILDING FROM A SCAFFOLD THROUGH A WINDOW CUT-OUT; THERE WAS A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER PLAINTIFF WAS AWARE THAT METHOD OF ENTERING THE BUILDING WAS PROHIBITED BY DEFENDANTS; THE LABOR LAW 240(1) CAUSE OF ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, reversing (modifying) the Appellate Division, over a three-judge dissent, determined defendants’ motion for summary judgment should not have been granted in this Labor Law 240(1) action. Plaintiff was injured when he fell attempting to enter a building from a scaffold through a window cut-out. Although there was evidence of a standing order prohibiting use of that method for entering the building, other workers used that method:

A defendant has no liability under Labor Law § 240 (1) when plaintiffs: (1) “had adequate safety devices available,” (2) “knew both that” the safety devices “were available and that [they were] expected to use them,” (3) “chose for no good reason not to do so,” and (4) would not have been injured had they “not made that choice” … . Here, a triable issue of fact exists as to whether plaintiff knew he was expected to use the safety devices provided to him, despite the apparent accepted practice of entering the building through the window cut-outs from the scaffolding. Indeed, as the Appellate Division dissent concluded, the Appellate Division majority (and the dissent here) “ignore[] the evidence in the record that workers on this job site used the scaffold to go through window cut-outs to enter the interior of the building and that the scaffold was clearly inadequate for that purpose” … .

Given defendants’ purported acquiescence to this alleged practice, the general contractor’s standing order directing workers not to enter the building through the cut-outs is insufficient to entitle defendants to summary judgment … . Further, the accepted practice could have negated the normal and logical inclination to use the scaffold, stairs, or hoist instead of the cut-outs … . Finally, in context and given the other conflicting evidence in the record, a factfinder should determine whether plaintiff’s statement that he “wasn’t supposed to pass through there” unambiguously establishes that he knew he was expected to use the safety devices. Biaca-Neto v Boston Rd. II Hous. Dev. Fund Corp., 2020 NY Slip Op 01116, CtApp 2-18-20

 

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‘RELIABLE HEARSAY’ IN A PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION (PSI) REPORT IS A SUFFICIENT BASIS FOR A FINDING DEFENDANT USED VIOLENCE IN THE COMMISSION OF A SEX OFFENSE; LEVEL TWO RISK ASSESSMENT UPHELD (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, over an extensive two-judge dissent, determined documentary evidence of “reliable hearsay” was sufficient for a finding defendant used violence to coerce the child victim in this “course of sexual conduct against a child” case, Therefore defendant was properly adjudicated a level two risk of reoffense:

At a SORA hearing conducted as defendant was nearing completion of his prison sentence, he was adjudicated a level two risk of reoffense due, in part, to the assessment of ten points under risk factor one, use of violence. That finding was based on information in the Presentence Investigation (PSI) report prepared in connection with the offense stating that “[o]n one or more occasions, he used physical force to coerce the victim into cooperation,” information also included in the case summary prepared by the Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders. Defendant argues that this evidence was insufficient to supply evidence of use of violence because it constituted hearsay and did not more specifically describe his conduct. …

SORA adjudications, by design, are typically based on documentary evidence under the statute’s “reliable hearsay” standard. Case summaries and PSI reports meet that standard … , meaning they can provide sufficient evidence to support the imposition of points. PSI reports are prepared by probation officers who investigate the circumstances surrounding the commission of the offense, defendant’s record of delinquency or criminality, family situation and social, employment, economic, educational and personal history, analyzing that data to provide a sentencing recommendation (see CPL 390.30[1]). Their primary function is to assist a criminal court in determining the appropriate sentence for the particular defendant based on the specific offense. Defendants have a right to review the report prior to sentencing (see CPL 390.50[2][a]) and may challenge the accuracy of any facts contained therein at that time (see CPL 400.10). * * *

Because there is record support for the imposition of points under risk factor one, there is no basis to disturb the Appellate Division order. People v Diaz, 2020 NY Slip Op 01114, CtApp 2-18-20

 

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NEW YORK DOES NOT RECOGNIZE SPOLIATION OF EVIDENCE AS AN INDEPENDENT TORT, THE COMPLAINT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s complaint should have been dismissed for failure to state a cause of action. Plaintiff was injured falling off a forklift platform. Plaintiff alleged defendants negligently destroyed or failed to preserve the forklift platform, thereby making it impossible to sue the manufacturer. The Second Department held that there is no such tort:

Here, the plaintiff’s sole purported cause of action seeks to recover for the negligent impairment of an employee’s right to sue, which is, in effect, an allegation of spoliation … , and New York does not recognize spoliation of evidence as an independent tort. Lopez-Lobo v U.S. Nonwovens Corp., 2020 NY Slip Op 01053, Second Dept 2-13-20

 

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ALTHOUGH DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE IS ADMISSIBLE NOTWITHSTANDING THE DEAD MAN’S STATUTE, HERE THE DECEDENT’S SIGNATURE ON THE GUARANTY WAS NOT AUTHENTICATED BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN AN INTERESTED WITNESS; THEREFORE PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE GUARANTY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined the personal guaranty signed by decedent was not authenticated. Therefore plaintiff was not entitled to summary judgment on the guaranty:

We modify, however, with respect to the cause of action under the personal guaranty purportedly signed by the decedent, because although documentary evidence is admissible notwithstanding the dead man’s statute, it must be “authenticated by a source other than an interested witness’s testimony” … . Having failed to authenticate the guaranty through “a source other than an interested witness’s testimony,” plaintiff was not entitled to summary judgment on the guaranty. Galpern v Air Chefs, L.L.C., 2020 NY Slip Op 01021, First Dept 2-13-20

 

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DESPITE THE BRAKE-FAILURE ALLEGATION IN THIS REAR-END COLLISION CASE, PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; DEFENDANT DID NOT PRESENT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO RAISE A QUESTION OF FACT ABOUT BRAKE FAILURE (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in this rear-end traffic accident case should have been granted. Defendant did not raise a question of fact about the brake-failure allegation:

” … [D]efendants’ contention that their vehicle’s brake failure was the cause of the accident was insufficient to raise a triable issue of fact as to liability. Defendants failed to satisfy the two-pronged showing that the accident was caused by an unanticipated problem with the vehicle’s brakes, and that they exercised reasonable care to keep the brakes in good working order … .

Summary judgment in plaintiff’s favor is not premature. Both plaintiff and defendant driver had firsthand knowledge of the accident, and submitted affidavits. However, defendants did not submit any evidence concerning maintenance of their vehicle. Defendants only speculate that there may be facts supporting their opposition to plaintiff’s motion which exist but cannot yet be stated … . Quiros v Hawkins, 2020 NY Slip Op 01020, First Dept 2-13-20

 

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