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Solazzo v. New York City Transit Authority

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Dec 20, 2005
2005 N.Y. Slip Op. 9658 (N.Y. 2005)

Summary

applying New York law

Summary of this case from Belevich v. Renaissance I, LLC

Opinion

199 SSM 29.

Decided December 20, 2005.

APPEAL from an order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the First Judicial Department, entered September 1, 2005. The Appellate Division, with two Justices dissenting, affirmed an order of the Supreme Court, New York County (Robert D. Lippman, J.), which had granted a motion by defendants Transit Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Plaintiff commenced this action to recover damages for injuries sustained when he slipped and fell on an allegedly wet, slippery subway station floor at the bottom of a staircase during an ongoing winter storm.

Solazzo v. New York City Tr. Auth., 21 AD3d 735, affirmed.

Pollack, Pollack, Isaac De Cicco, New York City ( Brian J. Isaac of counsel), for appellants.

New York City Transit Authority, Law Department, Brooklyn ( Lawrence A. Silver and Wallace D. Gossett of counsel), for respondents.

Chief Judge KAYE and Judges G.B. SMITH, CIPARICK, ROSENBLATT, GRAFFEO, READ and R.S. SMITH concur.


OPINION OF THE COURT

MEMORANDUM.

The order of the Appellate Division should be affirmed, with costs.

A property owner will not be held liable in negligence for a plaintiff's injuries sustained as the result of an icy condition occurring during an ongoing storm or for a reasonable time thereafter ( see Valentine v. City of New York, 86 AD2d 381, 383 [1st Dept 1982], affd 57 NY2d 932). Here, it had been snowing, sleeting and raining on and off all day and the steps down into the subway were exposed to those weather conditions. Thus, summary judgment was properly granted in defendants' favor.

Plaintiffs argue that the ongoing storm doctrine should not apply because his injury was caused by a recurring hazardous condition of which defendant Transit Authority was aware. A general awareness that the stairs and platforms become wet during inclement weather was insufficient to establish constructive notice of the specific condition causing plaintiff's injury ( see Piacquadio v. Recine Realty Corp., 84 NY2d 967, 969).

On review of submissions pursuant to section 500.11 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals ( 22 NYCRR 500.11), order affirmed, with costs, in a memorandum.


Summaries of

Solazzo v. New York City Transit Authority

Court of Appeals of the State of New York
Dec 20, 2005
2005 N.Y. Slip Op. 9658 (N.Y. 2005)

applying New York law

Summary of this case from Belevich v. Renaissance I, LLC

In Solazzo, the Court of Appeals applied the ongoing storm doctrine, as it had been snowing, sleeting and raining on the day of the accident.

Summary of this case from Derby v. 809 First Ave. Condos., LLC

noting that the subject steps down into the subway were exposed to sleeting weather conditions

Summary of this case from Rodriguez v.

noting that the subject steps down into the subway were exposed to sleeting weather conditions

Summary of this case from Rodriguez v. N.Y.C. Transit Auth.

sleeting and raining on and off all day causing subway steps to be wet

Summary of this case from Weinberger v. 52 Duane Assoc.

In Solazzo v. N.Y. City Transit Auth., 6 N.Y.3d 734, 735 (2005), the Court held that: "A general awareness that the stairs and platforms become wet during inclement weather was insufficient to establish constructive notice of the specific condition causing plaintiff's injury."

Summary of this case from Dones v. N.Y.C. Hous. Auth.

In Solazzo, the plaintiff was injured when he "fell on the wet, slippery station floor during an ongoing winter storm" (Solazzo v New York City Tr. Auth., 21 AD3d 735 [1st Dept 2005]).

Summary of this case from Sangiacomo v. State
Case details for

Solazzo v. New York City Transit Authority

Case Details

Full title:Michael J. Solazzo, Jr., et al., Appellants, v. New York City Transit…

Court:Court of Appeals of the State of New York

Date published: Dec 20, 2005

Citations

2005 N.Y. Slip Op. 9658 (N.Y. 2005)
2005 N.Y. Slip Op. 9658
810 N.Y.S.2d 121
843 N.E.2d 748

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