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Bigio v. Otis Elevator Company

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Aug 12, 1991
175 A.D.2d 823 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)

Opinion

August 12, 1991

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Aronin, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed, with costs.

Contrary to the defendant's contentions, it was not error for the trial court to charge the jury on the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur. The evidence adduced at the trial established that the plaintiff fell while alighting from an elevator maintained by the defendant and that this elevator had stopped approximately two inches below the level of the landing. There was also evidence that the elevator in question had misleveled in the past and there was expert testimony that such misleveling would not occur except as a result of a mechanical failure which was the result of a failure to properly maintain the electrical systems of the elevator. While the defense proffered evidence to the contrary on these points, the record is nevertheless sufficient for the court to have permitted the jury to consider the doctrine of res ipsa loquitur, as it was reasonable for the jury to conclude that the misleveling of the elevator was not the kind of event to occur in the absence of negligence (see, Kelly v Watson Elevator Co., 309 N.Y. 49), that the elevator was in the defendant's exclusive control as a result of a service contract with the building owner, and that the plaintiff did not contribute to the misleveling (see, Burgess v Otis Elevator Co., 114 A.D.2d 784, affd 69 N.Y.2d 623; see also, Liebman v Otis Elevator Co., 127 A.D.2d 745; Peters v Troy Hous. Auth., 108 A.D.2d 999; Smith v Jay Apts., 33 A.D.2d 624).

We have reviewed the defendant's remaining contentions and find them to be without merit. Bracken, J.P., Kooper, Miller and O'Brien, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Bigio v. Otis Elevator Company

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Aug 12, 1991
175 A.D.2d 823 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
Case details for

Bigio v. Otis Elevator Company

Case Details

Full title:OLGA BIGIO, Respondent, v. OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, Appellant

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

Date published: Aug 12, 1991

Citations

175 A.D.2d 823 (N.Y. App. Div. 1991)
573 N.Y.S.2d 196

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