Opinion
2011-11-29
Anthony McFADDEN, appellant, v. 726 LIBERTY CORP., respondent.
Frederic A. Nicholson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Elefterakis & Elefterakis, P.C. [Nicholas Elefterakis], of counsel), for appellant. Russo, Keane & Toner, LLP, New York, N.Y. (Thomas F. Keane, Fern Flomenhaft, and Theresa C. Villani of counsel), for respondent.
Frederic A. Nicholson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Elefterakis & Elefterakis, P.C. [Nicholas Elefterakis], of counsel), for appellant. Russo, Keane & Toner, LLP, New York, N.Y. (Thomas F. Keane, Fern Flomenhaft, and Theresa C. Villani of counsel), for respondent.
In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the plaintiff appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Lewis, J.), entered October 1, 2010, which granted the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.
“ ‘[A] plaintiff's inability to identify the cause of the [subject] fall is fatal to the cause of action because a finding that the defendant's negligence, if any, proximately caused the plaintiff's injuries would be based on speculation’ ” ( Alabre v. Kings Flatland Car Care Ctr., Inc., 84 A.D.3d 1286, 1287, 924 N.Y.S.2d 174, quoting Rajwan v. 109–23 Owners Corp., 82 A.D.3d 1199, 1200, 919 N.Y.S.2d 385; see Capasso v. Capasso, 84 A.D.3d 997, 998, 923 N.Y.S.2d 199; Patrick v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 77 A.D.3d 810, 909 N.Y.S.2d 543). Here, the defendant established its prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by demonstrating that the plaintiff was unable to identify the cause of his fall ( see Capasso v. Capasso, 84 A.D.3d at 998, 923 N.Y.S.2d 199; Patrick v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 77 A.D.3d at 811, 909 N.Y.S.2d 543). In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact ( see Zuckerman v. City of New York, 49 N.Y.2d 557, 562–564, 427 N.Y.S.2d 595, 404 N.E.2d 718; McCord v. Olympia & York Maiden Lane Co., 8 A.D.3d 634, 636, 779 N.Y.S.2d 542).
Accordingly, the Supreme Court correctly granted the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.