From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

In the Matter of Lassen v. Hevesi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Jul 22, 2004
9 A.D.3d 780 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)

Opinion

95580.

July 22, 2004.

Proceeding pursuant to CPLR article 78 (transferred to this Court by order of the Supreme Court, entered in Albany County) to review a determination of respondent which denied petitioner's application for accidental disability retirement benefits.

Before: Mercure, J.P., Peters, Mugglin, Rose and Kane, JJ., concur.


Petitioner, a firefighter, was injured when he tripped over a lawnmower on the front porch of a burning residence. At the time of the incident, petitioner was backing out of the building in order to observe the fire and to remove his equipment from the building. Petitioner had entered the residence through a different door, and did not know the lawnmower was there. Petitioner's initial application for accidental disability retirement benefits was denied. After a hearing, a Hearing Officer denied petitioner's application on the ground that the incident did not constitute an accident under Retirement and Social Security Law § 363. Respondent adopted the Hearing Officer's findings, resulting in this CPLR article 78 proceeding.

Substantial evidence supports respondent's conclusion that petitioner's injury resulted from "an ordinary misstep and a risk inherent in the duties of a firefighter and [was not] an accident within the meaning of the Retirement and Social Security Law," despite petitioner's lack of awareness of the lawnmower ( Matter of O'Donnell v. New York State Local Retirement Sys., 249 AD2d 607, 607; see Matter of Santorsola v. McCall, 302 AD2d 727, 728; Matter of Minchak v. McCall, 246 AD2d 952, 952-953). As such, we decline to disturb respondent's determination denying petitioner's application.

Adjudged that the determination is confirmed, without costs, and petition dismissed.


Summaries of

In the Matter of Lassen v. Hevesi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Third Department
Jul 22, 2004
9 A.D.3d 780 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)
Case details for

In the Matter of Lassen v. Hevesi

Case Details

Full title:In the Matter of THOMAS M. LASSEN, Petitioner, v. ALAN G. HEVESI, as…

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

Date published: Jul 22, 2004

Citations

9 A.D.3d 780 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004)
779 N.Y.S.2d 868

Citing Cases

Witts v. DiNapoli

Concerning the 2003 incident, we defer to a credibility determination by respondent (see Matter of West v…

Quinn v. N.Y. State

Respondent Comptroller adopted the decision of the Hearing Officer and this proceeding by petitioner ensued.…