Olan v. Farrell Lines Inc.

Full title: ISMAEL OLAN, Appellant, v. FARRELL LINES INCORPORATED, Respondent

Court: Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Date published: Apr 25, 1985

64 N.Y.2d 1092 (N.Y. 1985)

489 N.Y.S.2d 884

479 N.E.2d 229

Opinion

Decided April 25, 1985

Appeal from the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the First Judicial Department, Leonard N. Cohen, J.

Paul C. Matthews and Morgan Kennedy for appellant.

Stephen K. Carr and Bernard J. Vaughn for respondent.

MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed, with costs, for the reasons stated in its memorandum ( 105 A.D.2d 653). We add only that, before considering whether plaintiff put forth sufficient proof to defeat defendant's motion for summary judgment, the issue of whether defendant established its defense must first be addressed (CPLR 3212 [b]; Zuckerman v City of New York, 49 N.Y.2d 557, 562). In this instance, defendant put forth sufficient evidentiary proof in admissible form, and plaintiff raised no issue of material fact to support its claim of negligence and unseaworthiness. The fact that defendant's supporting proof was placed before the court by way of an attorney's affidavit annexing plaintiff's deposition testimony and other proof, rather than affidavits of fact on personal knowledge, does not defeat defendant's right to summary judgment ( see, Gaeta v New York News, 62 N.Y.2d 340, 350; Zuckerman v City of New York, supra, p 563).

Chief Judge WACHTLER and Judges JASEN, MEYER, SIMONS and KAYE concur; Judge ALEXANDER taking no part.

On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.4 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals (22 N.Y.CRR 500.4), order affirmed, with costs, in a memorandum.