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PLAINTIFF’S EXPERT’S AFFIDAVIT DID NOT ADDRESS THE CLAIM ASSOCIATED WITH TOOTH NUMBER 28 IN THIS DENTAL MALPRACTICE ACTION; THEREFORE DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THAT CLAIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The First Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, noted that the plaintiff’s expert’s affidavit did not address the plaintiff’s dental malpractice claim with respect to one tooth (tooth number 28). Therefore defendant’s motion for summary judgment should have been granted on that claim:

Even assuming, as defendant claims, that plaintiff would still have had to undergo future dental work had these six teeth been saved, and that any disfigurement was not fairly attributable to defendant because plaintiff opted to have another dentist install her dentures, these facts do not negate the primary injury claimed by plaintiff — the unnecessary loss of these teeth. It is immaterial that plaintiff’s expert did not indicate that he or she had reviewed plaintiff or her husband’s deposition testimony, as review of these documents was not necessary to make an informed determination about the appropriateness of treatment. * * *

However, defendant’s motion for summary judgment should have been granted insofar as plaintiff’s claims are directed at tooth number 28, because plaintiff’s expert failed to raise an issue of fact regarding a departure of care with respect to this tooth. Castro v Yakobashvilli, 2020 NY Slip Op 05281, First Dept 10-1-20

 

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THE VILLAGE DID NOT DEMONSTRATE INFANT PLAINTIFF ASSUMED THE RISK OF INJURY FROM A TIRE SWING IN THE VILLAGE PLAYGROUND; THE VILLAGE’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the village did not demonstrate infant plaintiff assumed the risk of injury from a tire swing in a village playground. Apparently the swing struck a railing causing infant plaintiff’s leg to slip out from under him and his leg struck a support post:

… [T]he Village failed to demonstrate its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law based on the doctrine of primary assumption of risk. Although the locations of the railing and support post were open and obvious, the submissions of the Village failed to establish, prima facie, that the structure was not negligently designed so as to permit the tire to come into contact with the railing and support post, thereby unreasonably increasing the risks over and above the usual dangers that are inherent in playing on a tire swing … . In addition, in light of the infant plaintiff’s age and limited experience with this tire swing, it cannot presently be determined as a matter of law that he was aware of and fully appreciated the risks involved with the tire being able to come into contact with the railing and support post … .

Further, the Village failed to establish, prima facie, that it neither created the allegedly dangerous condition nor had actual or constructive notice of the condition … , or that the infant plaintiff’s accident was not foreseeable … . Berrin v Incorporated Vil. of Babylon, 2020 NY Slip Op 05177, Second Dept 9-30-20

 

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DEFENDANT LANDLORD NOT LIABLE FOR PLAINTIFF’S FALL OUT OF A WINDOW; NO ALLEGATION OF THE VIOLATION OF ANY RULE, REGULATION, CODE OR STANDARD (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant property owner was not liable for plaintiff’s fall out of a window to the sidewalk below:

The record demonstrates that defendants may not be held liable for the injuries sustained by plaintiff when, upon tripping over speaker wires, he fell out of his bedroom window and onto the sidewalk below. Defendants met their burden for summary judgment by submitting evidence that the window, neither by its configuration or condition, presented a hazard in and of itself, and that defendants had no statutory or common-law duty to install window guards or stops for the benefit of adult plaintiff …

Plaintiff’s expert’s affidavit was insufficient to defeat the motion for summary judgment as it was not based on any rules, regulations, codes, standards or on the factual record … . Fraser v Reclaim Hous. Dev. Fund Corp., 2020 NY Slip Op 05135, First Dept 9-29-20

 

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TRANSIT AUTHORITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS BUS-PASSENGER INJURY CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; THE BUS DRIVER REACTED APPROPRIATELY TO A CAR SUDDENLY PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF THE BUS TO MAKE A U-TURN (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant transit authority’s motion for summary judgment in this bus-passenger injury case should have been granted. The driver of a double-parked car pulled out in front of the bus to make a u-turn and the driver properly slammed on the brakes:

… [D]efendants established their prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by showing that their bus driver was presented with an emergency situation that was not of his own making when a vehicle that was double-parked on the right side of the roadway suddenly made a U-turn in front of him, and that he took reasonable and prudent action to avoid a collision … . They also met their initial burden of showing that their bus driver’s actions before the accident did not cause or contribute to the emergency, because the bus driver testified at his deposition that he was traveling no more than 15 miles per hour, warned the double-parked car before he attempted to pass by sounding his horn, and had his foot hovering over the brakes when the sedan suddenly made a U-turn in front of his bus when it was approximately five feet away. What is more, the driver had no duty to anticipate that another driver would make a sudden, illegal maneuver … .

… [T]he record shows that the driver was obliged to take immediate action when the car suddenly cut in front of the bus to make a U-turn, and stepping on the brakes to avoid a collision was a reasonable response to a situation not of defendants’ own making … . Santana-Lizardo v New York City Tr. Auth., 2020 NY Slip Op 05164, First Dept 9-29-20

 

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SUPREME COURT SHOULD NOT HAVE DISMISSED THIS DENTAL MALPRACTICE ACTION ON THE GROUND THE PLAINTIFFS’ EXPERT WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO RENDER AN OPINION; ANY WEAKNESSES IN THE EXPERT’S AFFIDAVIT WENT TO ITS WEIGHT NOT ITS ADMISSIBILITY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined this dental malpractice action should not have been dismissed. The weaknesses in plaintiffs’ expert’s affidavit went to the weight of her opinion as evidence, not its admissibility:

The Supreme Court granted that branch of the motion, determining that the defendant demonstrated his prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the dental malpractice cause of action insofar as asserted against him, and that the expert affirmation submitted by the plaintiffs in opposition lacked probative value because the plaintiffs’ expert was not qualified to render an opinion as to the applicable standard of care. …

… [T]he affirmation of the plaintiffs’ expert was sufficient to demonstrate his qualifications to render opinions as to the applicable standard of care and, under these circumstances, raised triable issues of fact as to whether the defendant deviated from that standard and whether any such deviation was a proximate cause of [plaintiff’s] injuries … . “Any lack of skill or expertise that the plaintiff’s expert may have had goes to the weight of his or her opinion as evidence, not its admissibility” … . The parties’ conflicting expert opinions raised questions of credibility for the trier of fact … . Lesniak v Huang, 2020 NY Slip Op 05044, Second Dept 9-23-20

 

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A PARTY’S ADMISSION IN AN UNCERTIFIED POLICE REPORT IS NO LONGER ADMISSIBLE IN THE 2ND DEPARTMENT AND DECISIONS TO THE CONTRARY SHOULD NO LONGER BE FOLLOWED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Connolly, reversing Supreme Court, noting prior decisions to the contrary should no longer be followed, determined a party’s hearsay admission in an uncertified police report is not admissible. Therefore, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in this rear-end collision case should not have been granted:

At the first level of hearsay, the report itself must be admissible. A properly certified police accident report is admissible where “the report is made based upon the officer’s personal observations and while carrying out police duties” … . CPLR 4518(c) provides that the foundation for the admissibility of, inter alia, the records of a department or bureau of a municipal corporation or of the state may be laid through a proper certification … . CPLR 4518(c) “is governed by the same standards as the general business record exception” … . Thus, the certification must “set forth” … that the record “was made in the regular course of any business and that it was the regular course of such business to make it, at the time of the act, transaction, occurrence or event, or within a reasonable time thereafter” (CPLR 4518[a]). * * *

Although a line of cases from our Court held that an uncertified police report constitutes inadmissible hearsay … , a separate line of cases anomalously espoused a carve-out to that rule, holding that a party’s admission in an uncertified police report is admissible against that party. Although a party’s admission is an exception to the hearsay rule … , it is not logically consistent to hold that such admission may be received into evidence where the business record containing the purported admission is not itself in admissible form. Stated differently, a party’s admission contained within a police accident report may not be bootstrapped into evidence if a proper foundation for the admissibility of the report itself has not been laid. Yassin v Blackman, 2020 NY Slip Op 05090, Second Dept 9-23-20

 

DEFENDANT DRIVER DID NOT DEMONSTRATE HE KEPT A PROPER LOOKOUT IN THIS VEHICLE-BICYCLE COLLISION CASE; THE PLAINTIFF BICYCLIST STRUCK THE REAR DRIVER’S SIDE DOOR WHEN DEFENDANT TURNED LEFT INTO A CAR WASH; DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion for summary judgment in this vehicle-bicycle collision case should not have been granted:

The plaintiff commenced this action to recover damages for personal injuries he allegedly sustained when, while riding a bicycle, he came into contact with the rear driver’s side of a motor vehicle that was operated by the defendant, as it was turning left into a car wash. …

An operator of a motor vehicle traveling with the right-of-way has an obligation to keep a proper lookout and see what can be seen through the reasonable use of his or her senses to avoid colliding with other vehicles … . Since there can be more than one proximate cause of an accident, a defendant moving for summary judgment is required to make a prima facie showing that he or she is free from fault … .

Here, when questioned at his deposition, the defendant admitted that in the short period leading up to the accident, he could not recall where he was looking. The defendant further admitted that he did not see the plaintiff prior to impact and only realized there was an accident when he heard the impact to the rear driver’s side of his vehicle. Accordingly, the defendant failed to demonstrate, prima facie, that he kept a proper lookout and that his alleged negligence did not contribute to the happening of the accident … . Carias v Grove, 2020 NY Slip Op 05029, Second Dept 9-23-20

 

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DESPITE THE ALLEGATION THAT THE DRIVER HAD LOGGED OFF THE UBER APP PRIOR TO THE PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE ACCIDENT, QUESTIONS OF FACT PRECLUDED SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE VICARIOUS LIABILITY THEORY; THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPEAL BOARD’S FINDING THAT THE DRIVER WAS EMPLOYED BY UBER WAS NOT ENTITLED TO PRECLUSIVE EFFECT; ISSUE NOT RAISED BELOW PROPERLY CONSIDERED ON APPEAL (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court in this pedestrian-vehicle accident case, determined: (1) a ruling by the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board finding that defendant driver was an employee of defendant Uber was not entitled collateral-estoppel effect pursuant to Labor Law 623( 2); (2) although the Labor Law 623(2) argument was not raised below, it raised a question of law which could not have been avoided below and therefore was considered on appeal; (3) the claim that defendant driver had logged off the Uber app at the time of the accident did not warrant summary judgment in favor of Uber on the vicarious liability theory:

An action may be considered to be within the scope of employment, thus rendering an employer vicariously liable for the conduct, when “the employee is engaged generally in the business of the employer, or if the act may be reasonably said to be necessary or incidental to such employment” … . Whether an employee was acting within the scope of his or her employment is generally a question of fact for the jury … .

Here, contrary to Uber’s contention, the averments [that the driver] had logged off of the Uber app 40 minutes before the accident were simply insufficient, without more, to eliminate all questions of fact as to whether Hussein was acting within the scope of his alleged employment with Uber at the time of the incident … . Uy v Hussein, 2020 NY Slip Op 05080, Second Dept 9-23-30

 

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OWNER OF OWNER-OCCUPIED TWO-FAMILY RESIDENCE IS EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY FOR A SIDEWALK SLIP AND FALL PURSUANT TO THE NYC ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND WAS NOT LIABLE UNDER THE COMMON LAW; DEFENDANT’S SUMMARY JUDGMENT MOTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court in this sidewalk slip and fall case, determined defendant property owner was exempt from liability under the administrative code and common law:

“Administrative Code of the City of New York § 7-210, which became effective September 14, 2003, shifted tort liability for injuries arising from a defective sidewalk from the City to the abutting property owner, except for sidewalks abutting one-, two-, or three-family residential properties that are owner occupied and used exclusively for residential purposes” ( … see Administrative Code of City of NY § 7-210[b]). Here, the defendants established, prima facie, that the subject property abutting the public sidewalk was a two-family, owner-occupied residence, and thus, that they are entitled to the exemption from liability for owner-occupied residential property … .

The defendants also established that they could not be held liable for the plaintiff’s alleged injuries under common-law principles. “Absent the liability imposed by statute or ordinance, an abutting landowner is not liable to a passerby on a public sidewalk for injuries resulting from defects in the sidewalk unless the landowner either created the defect or caused it to occur by special use” … . The defendants established, prima facie, that they did not create the defective condition that allegedly caused the plaintiff’s fall or make a special use of that area of the sidewalk … . Osipova v London, 2020 NY Slip Op 05053, Second Dept 9-23-30

 

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THE AFFIDAVIT FROM PLAINTIFF’S ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION EXPERT WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SOLE BASIS FOR PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS BICYCLE-CAR ACCIDENT CASE; THE AFFIDAVIT, FOR SEVERAL REASONS, DID NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF PROOF REQUIRED TO WARRANT SUMMARY JUDGMENT (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department determined plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in this bicycle-car accident case, based entirely on the affidavit from plaintiff’s accident reconstruction expert (Witte), was properly denied. The bicyclist died in the accident. The driver, Amyot, and her husband, a passenger, died later:

… [W]e note that Witte does not aver that his opinion is within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. Although the failure to do so does not de facto render his affidavit invalid … , the affidavit must contain an evidentiary foundation that would support plaintiff’s verdict if offered at trial … . This it failed to do. Witte’s conclusions — which were based on the timing of the accident, i.e., where Amyot should have seen decedent and the precise distances and times averred to by Witte — are not based on facts evident in the record, but rather on the statement that Amyot’s husband made to police that “[a] couple houses past [the] speed zone on the right, I saw [decedent] on his bike coming out of . . . the driveway.” It is unclear from this statement whether Amyot’s husband was located “a couple” of houses past the speed zone when he saw decedent or whether decedent and the driveway from which he was exiting were located “a couple” of houses past the speed zone. Further, one cannot discern what constitutes “a couple.” For these reasons, the factual foundation lacks the probative force adequate to support summary judgment … . …

… [A]part from the supporting depositions, all of the documents that Witte utilized in forming his opinion are unsworn, uncertified and/or unauthenticated. Although the professional reliability exception to the hearsay rule allows “an expert witness to provide opinion evidence based on otherwise inadmissible hearsay,” it must be shown “to be the type of material commonly relied on in the profession” … . Furthermore, even if such reliability is shown, “it may not be the sole basis for the expert’s opinion” … . Delosh v Amyot, 2020 NY Slip Op 05003, Third Dept 9-17-20

 

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