From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Smith v. Village of Rockville

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 9, 2008
57 A.D.3d 649 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)

Opinion

No. 2008-06396.

December 9, 2008.

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendant Village of Rockville Centre appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Winslow, J.), dated June 24, 2008, which denied its motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it.

Zaklukiewicz, Puzo Morrissey, LLP, Islip Terrace, N.Y. (Candace M. Bartone of counsel), for appellant.

Matthew A. Sosnik (Sweetbaum Sweetbaum, Lake Success, N.Y. [Marshall D. Sweetbaum], of counsel), for respondent.

Before: Rivera, J.P., Dillon, Covello and McCarthy, JJ. concur.


Ordered that the order is reversed, on the law, with costs, and the appellant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it is granted.

The plaintiff allegedly sustained injuries when she tripped and fell on a public sidewalk within the defendant Village of Rockville Centre (hereinafter the Village). Specifically, she tripped over "uneven bricks." Those bricks had been installed by a contractor the Village hired.

On its motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it, the Village made a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by providing evidence demonstrating that it lacked prior written notice of the allegedly dangerous condition in the sidewalk, as required by the Code of Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre § 66-1 (referencing former Village Law § 341-a, recodified as Village Law § 6-628; see Jacobs v Village of Rockville Ctr., 41 AD3d 539, 540). Contrary to the Supreme Court's determination, in opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact. While the plaintiff attempted to raise a triable issue of fact as to the applicability of the so-called "affirmative negligence exception" to the statutory rule requiring prior written notice, she failed to provide any evidence tending to show that work by the Village's contractor " immediately result[ed] in the existence of the uneven brick "condition" ( Oboler v City of New York, 8 NY3d 888, 889; see Yarborough v City of New York, 10 NY3d 726, 728). Accordingly, the Village's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it should have been granted ( see Jacobs v Village of Rockville Ctr., 41 AD3d at 540).


Summaries of

Smith v. Village of Rockville

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Dec 9, 2008
57 A.D.3d 649 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)
Case details for

Smith v. Village of Rockville

Case Details

Full title:LISA ANN SMITH, Respondent, v. VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE, Appellant, et…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Dec 9, 2008

Citations

57 A.D.3d 649 (N.Y. App. Div. 2008)
2008 N.Y. Slip Op. 9778
870 N.Y.S.2d 67

Citing Cases

Wiley v. Inc. Village of Garden City

The Village moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and Scatt Materials cross-moved for summary…

San Marco v. Mount Kisco

Congdon, Flaherty, O'Callaghan, Reid, Donlon, Travis Fishlinger, Uniondale ( Kathleen D. Foley of counsel),…