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A FLATTENED CARDBOARD BOX ON THE FLOOR WAS NOT ACTIONABLE IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined a flattened cardboard box was not actionable in this slip and fall case;

The plaintiff commenced this action to recover damages for personal injuries after she slipped and fell on a flattened cardboard box that was lying on the floor in an aisle of the defendant’s grocery store. At her deposition, the plaintiff testified that she saw the cardboard box prior to the accident, as well as an employee of the defendant stocking shelves in the aisle close by. The plaintiff testified that, prior to her fall, it was her intention to step onto the cardboard in order to reach a product on a nearby shelf. …

While a possessor of real property has a duty to maintain that property in a reasonably safe condition … , “there is no duty to protect or warn against an open and obvious condition that, as a matter of law, is not inherently dangerous” … .

Here, the defendant established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law dismissing the complaint by submitting evidence demonstrating that the flattened cardboard box, which was readily observable to the plaintiff prior to her fall, was open and obvious, and not inherently dangerous … . DiScalo v Mannix Family Mkt. @ Forest & Richmond Ave, LLC, 2022 NY Slip Op 03708, Second Dept 6-8-22

Practice Point: A flattened cardboard box on the floor was not actionable in this slip and fall case because it was “open and obvious.”

 

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CLAIMANT’S ATTORNEY WAS NOT AWARE OF THE THIRD DEPARTMENT’S UNIQUE REQUIREMENT OF FULL EXPERT-WITNESS DISCLOSURE FOR A TREATING PHYSICIAN; THAT WAS AN ADEQUATE EXCUSE FOR AN UNTIMELY DISCLOSURE (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined claimant’s treating physician (Hopson) in this personal injury case should have been allowed to testify as an expert, despite the failure to comply with full expert disclosure pursuant to CPLR 3101. The Third Department is the only department which requires such full expert disclosure by a treating physician and claimant’s attorney had not practiced in the Third Department:

There is no dispute that claimant failed to comply with the expert disclosure requirements of CPLR 3101 (d) (1) (i) in identifying Hopson as a witness. Nevertheless, we disagree with the Court of Claims’ finding that claimant’s excuse was unreasonable. The situation here mirrors that in Schmitt v Oneonta City Sch. Dist. (151 AD3d 1254), where we accepted the explanation of the plaintiffs’ attorney that he was “unaware of this Court’s interpretation of CPLR 3101 (d) (1) (i) and the corresponding need to file an expert disclosure for a treating physician, and the record [was] otherwise devoid of any indication that counsel’s failure to file such disclosure was willful” … . The same holds true here, as claimant’s attorney revealed that she practices law in a different judicial department and candidly conceded that she was unaware of this Court’s interpretation that the statute requires expert disclosure for treating physicians. There is nothing in the record calling into question the veracity of counsel’s representations and no basis to conclude that the noncompliance with CPLR 3101 (d) (1) (i) was willful. As such, the court erred in precluding Hopson’s testimony as an expert witness…. . Freeman v State of New York, 2022 NY Slip Op 03559, Third Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: Only the Third Department requires full expert-witness disclosure for a treating physician.

 

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PLAINTIFF’S EMPLOYER’S MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON DEFENDANT’S CONTRACTUAL INDEMNITY, COMMON-LAW INDEMNITY AND CONTRIBUTION CAUSES OF ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; CRITERIA EXPLAINED (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant property-owner’s indemnity claims against plaintiff’s employer (Sodexo) in this slip and fall case should have been dismissed. Defendant, as the property-owner, was responsible for the structural maintenance of the stairwell where plaintiff fell. The fall was not caused by debris on the stairwell, which was Sodexo’s only responsibility under its contract with defendant:

While defendant argued … that Sodexo’s responsibility to “provide basic housekeeping to all areas of operation during the course of the operating day” included the subject stairs, it is clear from the incident report and post incident/accident root cause analysis form that the staircase was clear of obstructions, objects, substances and debris of any sort. Accordingly, defendant failed to raise a triable issue of fact regarding whether [the] accident was caused by Sodexo’s sole negligence, so Sodexo was entitled to summary judgment dismissing defendant’s cause of action for contractual indemnity. * * *

Defendant has not alleged any scenario under which it could be held vicariously or statutorily liable for any negligence of Sodexo. Accordingly, Sodexo was entitled to summary judgment dismissing defendant’s cause of action for common-law indemnification … .

… Inasmuch as defendant failed to raise an issue of fact as to Sodexo’s negligence, defendant is not entitled to contribution from Sodexo, and Sodexo’s motion for summary judgment dismissing defendant’s contribution cause of action should have been granted. O’Toole v Marist Coll., 2022 NY Slip Op 03560, Third Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: Defendant property owner’s actions against plaintiff’s employer for contractual and common law indemnity and contribution should have been dismissed because plaintiff’s slip and fall was not the result of any act or omission on plaintiff’s employer’s part. The criteria for indemnity and contribution causes of action are explained.

 

DESPITE THE FACT THAT PLAINTIFF COULD NOT SAY WHICH OF TWO CRACKS IN THE PAVEMENT CAUSED HIS FALL, THE CAUSE OF THE FALL WAS SUFFICIENTLY IDENTIFIED TO WITHSTAND SUMMARY JUDGMENT (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant’s motion for summary judgment in this slip and fall case should not have been granted on the ground plaintiff could not identify the cause of his fall. Plaintiff alleged that one of two cracks in the pavement caused the fall:

Plaintiff testified that, on the day of the incident, the weather was clear and there was no snow or debris on the surface of the parking lot. He had parked his car in the parking lot and was approaching the front door of the store when his foot suddenly “hit something along the pavement and . . . stopped,” causing him to fall to the ground. An individual who was walking behind plaintiff came to his aid, helping plaintiff up off the ground and assisting him back to his vehicle. At the time of his fall, plaintiff did not look at the ground to determine the cause. However, he recalled that, after being helped back to his vehicle, he looked back and noticed a cracked area of the pavement where he had fallen. Plaintiff was shown photographs of the parking lot and identified the location of his fall by circling in one of the photographs an uneven area of the pavement with two cracks in close proximity to one another. Upon further questioning, plaintiff was unable to identify which of the two cracks caused the fall, but repeatedly testified that he knew it was one of those two cracks based upon where he landed when he fell.

… Although plaintiff’s statements were not without some inconsistencies, he was steadfast in his testimony that he tripped on one of the two identified cracks in the pavement of the parking lot. Despite Supreme Court’s suggestion to the contrary, plaintiff was not required to state for certain which particular crack caused him to fall in order to withstand summary judgment … . Bovee v Posniewski Enters., Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 03561, Third Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: Plaintiff was able to testify that one of two cracks in the pavement was the cause of his fall. The cause was sufficiently identified to withstand summary judgment.​

 

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IN THIS Y-INTERSECTION TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASE, (1) THE TOWN DEMONSTRATED IT DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED WRITTEN NOTICE THAT OVERGROWN FOLIAGE BLOCKED LINES OF SIGHT; (2) QUESTIONS OF FACT PRECLUDED SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE CAUSES OF ACTION ALLEGING INADQUATE SIGNAGE AND NEGLIGENT ROADWAY DESIGN (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court in this Y-intersection traffic accident case, determined:(1) the cause of action against the town alleging overgrown foliage blocked drivers’ line of sight should have been dismissed because the town demonstrated it did not have written notice of the condition; (2) the written-notice requirement does not apply to the causes of action alleging inadequate signage and negligent design, which properly survived summary judgment:

By its submission of the affidavits of its Town Clerk and Superintendent of Highways who both averred that, after review of the pertinent records, no written notice was received pertaining to any alleged defective or dangerous condition caused by or from overgrown trees … , the Town successfully shifted the burden to plaintiffs to establish an issue of fact as to prior written notice, which plaintiffs failed to do … .

As to plaintiffs’ claims pertaining to inadequate signage and negligent design of the intersection, we agree that prior written notice requirements do not apply to these alleged defects … . * * *

… [T]he record demonstrates that, at the very least, at some point in the modern era the roads were paved and signage was installed. The Town has provided no proof as to when or how often these activities have been undertaken or that they were completed in compliance with the standards in place at the time … .

We further agree that Supreme Court properly rejected the Town’s contention that plaintiffs’ allegations of negligence by the Town were negated by [the drivers’] familiarity with the intersection. …  … [I]t cannot be said that this Y intersection was reasonably safe as a matter of law, nor did the Town conclusively demonstrate that placing the stop sign in a different location would have resulted in the same conduct by [the drivers]. … [T]riable issues of fact exist as to whether the signage at the intersection was a proximate cause of the accident … . Read v Bell, 2022 NY Slip Op 03563, Third Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: In a traffic accident case, a municipality will not be liable for overgrown foliage which blocks lines of sight if the town has not been provided with written notice of the condition. The written-notice requirement does not apply to causes of action alleging the accident was caused by inadequate signage or negligent roadway design.

 

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PLAINTIFF, A TEXAS RESIDENT WHO WAS A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FOR 30 YEARS WITH MONTHLY STAY-OVERS IN NEW YORK, DEMONSTRATED NEW YORK HAD LONG-ARM JURISDICTION OVER THE NEW JERSEY COMPANY WHICH MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED TALCUM POWDER PLAINTIFF USED; THE TALCUM POWDER ALLEGEDLY CAUSED PLAINTIFF’S MESOTHELIOMA (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department determined New York had specific long-arm jurisdiction of defendant Shulton, the manufacturer and distributor of talcum powder alleged to have cause plaintiff’s peritoneal mesothelioma. Plaintiff (English) was a flight attendant for 30 years who used the talcum powder when she stayed in New York. Shulton has its principal place of business in New Jersey but has an office in New York and markets the product in New York:

English, a Texas resident, was employed as a flight attendant for 33 years, from 1966 to 1999. During a substantial part of that time, she used Desert Flower on a daily basis after showering. From 1966 to 1984, English was regularly assigned to flights into New York and flew into this state two to four times a month. She usually remained in New York on two- or three-day layovers. When English travelled, she packed Desert Flower in her luggage, so she would have it available for use when she showered. There is no claim that the Desert Flower English used in New York was purchased in New York.

Shulton is incorporated in New Jersey, where it had its principal place of business during the time that English claims to have used Desert Flower. Shulton never manufactured Desert Flower in New York, and in the mid-1970s the manufacture of its talc products shifted from Tennessee to New Jersey. Desert Flower was marketed nationally, including in New York. During the relevant period of time, Shulton maintained a New York office from which it conducted its marketing activities for its Cosmetics and Toiletries Division. The New York office was also headquarters for its International Division. * * * Shulton’s maintenance of its own New York office satisfies the first prong under CPLR 302(a)(1). * * * Desert Flower was marketed and sold nationally, and English used Desert Flower when she travelled to and while she stayed in New York. Shulton’s activities and contacts with New York and the allegedly hazardous talcum powder used by English are sufficient to support an assertion of specific jurisdiction over Shulton…. . English v Avon Prods., Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 03571, First Dept 6-2-22

Practice Point: Even though plaintiff was a Texas resident and the company she was suing was based in New Jersey, she was able to sue using New York courts. Plaintiff was a flight attendant for 30 years with monthly stay-overs in New York. Defendant had an office in New York and marketed the talcum powder which allegedly cause plaintiff’s mesothelioma nationwide.

 

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DEFENDANT PROPERTY OWNER FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE IT WAS THE ALTER EGO OF PLAINTIFF’S EMPLOYER OR THAT PLAINTIFF WAS DEFENDANT’S SPECIAL EMPLOYEE; THEREFORE PLAINTIFF’S PERSONAL INJURY ACTION WAS NOT PRECLUDED BY THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY ASPECT OF THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAW (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant Zorn Realties, the owner of the property, did not demonstrate it was the alter ego of plaintiff’s employer, Zorn Poultry Farm, and did not demonstrate plaintiff was a special employee of Zorn Realties. Therefore, the negligence action stemming from plaintiff’s fall through a chute or a hole on defendant’s property was not precluded by the exclusive-remedy aspect of the Workers’ Compensation Law:

“‘A defendant moving for summary judgment based on the exclusivity defense of the Workers’ Compensation Law under this theory must show, prima facie, that it was the alter ego of the plaintiff’s employer'” … . “A defendant may establish itself as the alter ego of a plaintiff’s employer by demonstrating that one of the entities controls the other or that the two operate as a single integrated entity” … . However, “a mere showing that the entities are related is insufficient where a defendant cannot demonstrate that one of the entities controls the day-to-day operations of the other” … .

… Although the defendant presented evidence that the two entities were related inasmuch as they shared an address and a liability insurance policy, the defendant failed to establish that the entities shared officers or had identical owners. Additionally, the evidence showed that the entities served different purposes, had separate bank accounts, filed separate tax returns, and did not have a shared workers’ compensation policy … . …

“Many factors are weighed in deciding whether a special employment relationship exists, and generally no single one is decisive . . . Principal factors include who has the right to control the employee’s work, who is responsible for the payment of wages and the furnishing of equipment, who has the right to discharge the employee, and whether the work being performed was in furtherance of the special employer’s or the general employer’s business . . . The most significant factor is who controls and directs the manner, details, and ultimate result of the employee’s work'” … .

… [T]he defendant failed to establish … that the plaintiff was its special employee at the time of the accident because it did not submit sufficient evidence to establish, inter alia, that it controlled and directed the manner, details, and ultimate result of the plaintiff’s work, nor did it establish that the plaintiff had knowledge of and consented to a special employment relationship … . Mauro v Zorn Realties, Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 03509, Second Dept 6-1-22

Practice Point: Here the defendant property owner was not able to take advantage of the exclusive-remedy aspect of the Workers’ Compensation Law in this personal injury action. Plaintiff’s employer was not the alter ego of defendant and plaintiff was not defendant’s special employee.

 

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IN THIS PRODUCTS LIABILITY ACTION WHERE A ROUTER SEVERED PLAINTIFF’S THUMB, THE FAILURE-TO-WARN CAUSE OF ACTION BASED ON THE MANUAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED BECAUSE PLANTIFF NEVER READ IT; THE GENERALIZED FAILURE-TO-WARN CAUSE OF ACTION PROPERLY SURVIVED SUMMARY JUDGMENT; DISAGREEING WITH THE SECOND DEPARTMENT, THE DESIGN-DEFECT CAUSE OF ACTION BASED ON THE LACK OF AN INTERLOCK DEVICE PROPERLY SURVIVED SUMMARY JUDGMENT (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, modifying Supreme Court in this products liability case where plaintiff severed his thumb using a router, determined: (1) the failure-to-warn cause of action based upon the product manual should have been dismissed because plaintiff testified he never read it; (2) the generalized failure-to-warn cause of cause properly survived summary judgment; and (3) the design defect cause of action alleging the router should have had an interlock device which would shut it down properly survived summary judgment. Whether plaintiff was familiar with the risk of amputation such that the defendant was relieved of the duty to warn is a question of fact. And whether the lack of an interlock device is a design defect is a question of fact (disagreeing with decisions from the Second Department):

… [T]he record contains evidence that plaintiff had knowledge of power tools other than the router and the general hazards associated with cutting devices. Plaintiff also had used the router on one prior occasion at the premises before the accident. However, it is for a jury, not the court, to determine whether, based on the evidence and testimony presented, plaintiff had sufficient knowledge of the specific hazards from the use of the router to relieve defendants of their duty to warn of them. Further, whether the router presented an open and obvious danger is also a jury issue. * * *

The branch of defendants’ motion for summary judgment dismissing the design defect claim based on the lack of an interlock was also properly denied. We recognize that the Second Department has held that such a claim is per se unviable in Chavez v Delta Intl. Mach. Corp. (130 AD3d 667 [2d Dept 2015]), Patino v Lockformer Co. (303 AD2d 731 [2d Dept 2003]), and Giunta v Delta Intl. Mach. (300 AD2d 350 [2d Dept 2002]). Chavez (at 669), the most recent of these cases, cited Patino and Giunta for this proposition, and in Giunta (at 351), the Second Department held that a theory of liability that a “table saw should have been designed with an interlock which would have prevented the motor from starting if the blade guard was off. . . . was explicitly rejected as a matter of law in David v Makita U.S.A. (233 AD2d 145 [1st Dept 1996]), and implicitly rejected in Banks v Makita, U.S.A. (226 AD2d 659 [2d Dept 1996], lv denied 89 NY2d 805 [1996]).”

However, we read neither David nor Banks as supporting Giunta’s conclusion. Vasquez v Ridge Tool Pattern Co., 2022 NY Slip Op 03488, First Dept 5-31-22

Practice Point: In this products liability case where plaintiff lost a thumb using a router, there was a question of fact whether plaintiff was familiar enough with the danger of amputation that the defendant should be relieved of liability for the failure to warn. Here the First Department, disagreeing with the Second Department, determined the absence of an interlock device which would shut the router down raised a question of fact on the design-defect cause of action.

 

RARE SLIP AND FALL WON BY THE DEFENDANT AT SUMMARY JUDGMENT BY DEMONSTRATING A LACK OF CONSTRUCTIVE NOTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF THE BOX WHICH ALLEGEDLY CAUSED PLAINTIFF’S FALL (FIRST DEPT).

The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant demonstrated it did not have constructive notice of the presence of a cardboard box over which plaintiff allegedly tripped and fell—a rare slip and fall case where a lack of constructive notice was successfully demonstrated at the summary judgment stage:

Defendant sustained its initial burden of showing that it lacked notice of the presence of the cardboard box near the walkway of its building before the accident and that it observed a reasonable cleaning routine … .. Plaintiff testified that she did not see the box when she left work at 4:00 p.m. on the day before her fall, and defendant’s caretaker stated that it was not there when he left work at 4:30 p.m. on the same day. The caretaker also testified that he cleaned the area twice a day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Thus, the box could have been deposited near the walkway a few minutes before plaintiff’s accident … . Defendant is not required to patrol the area 24 hours a day … , and plaintiff failed to show that the cleaning schedule described by the caretaker was “‘manifestly unreasonable'” … .

Plaintiff’s argument that the caretaker admitted that tenants regularly left garbage near the walkway and that it was a recurring problem is unavailing. The caretaker’s testimony shows that defendant was aware of the general problem, not that it was aware of the specific presence of the cardboard box at issue, and that it addressed the problem by having the caretaker clean the area twice a day … . Rodriguez v New York City Hous. Auth., 2022 NY Slip Op 03461, First Dept 5-26-22

Practice Point: In this slip and fall case, the defendant, at the summary judgment stage, presented evidence, including the plaintiff’s deposition testimony, which demonstrated the box which allegedly caused plaintiff’s fall was not in the walkway long enough to raise a question of fact whether defendant was or should have been aware of it.

 

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PLAINTIFF IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE DID NOT SEE THE CONDITION THAT CAUSED HIM TO FALL NEAR A SINK IN DEFENDANTS’ BATHROOM, BUT HIS PANTS WERE WET AFTER THE FALL; DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE GROUND THAT PLAINTIFF COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF HIS FALL SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendants did not demonstrate plaintiff could not identify the cause of his slip and fall. Plaintiff fell near a sink in defendants’ bathroom. Although he did not see the condition which caused him to fall, his pants were wet after the fall:

… [T]he defendants failed to establish, prima facie, that the plaintiff did not know what had caused him to fall. The plaintiff testified at his deposition that he did not see the condition that caused him to fall prior to the accident. However, he testified that, after he fell, his pants became wet. “Contrary to the defendants’ contention, this testimony does not establish that the cause of the plaintiff’s fall cannot be identified without engaging in speculation” … . Redendo v Central Ave. Chrysler Jeep, Inc., 2022 NY Slip Op 03411, Second Dept 5-25-22

Practice Point: Plaintiff did not see the condition which caused him to fall near a sink in defendants’ bathroom, but his pants were wet after the fall. Defendants were not entitled to summary judgment on the ground the plaintiff could not identify the cause of his fall.

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