X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Burden, Hafner & Hansen, LLC, Buffalo (Sarah E. Hansen of Counsel), for Defendant-Appellant.Cellino & Barnes, P.C., Buffalo (Ellen B. Sturm of Counsel), for Plaintiff-Respondent.Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Erie County (Tracey A. Bannister, J.), entered April 3, 2018. The order denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment.It is hereby ORDERED that the order so appealed from is unanimously affirmed without costs.Memorandum: Plaintiff commenced this action to recover damages for injuries that she allegedly sustained when she slipped and fell on black ice in the rear parking lot of defendant’s fire hall, where plaintiff and her husband intended to play bingo. In her amended complaint, as amplified by her bill of particulars, plaintiff asserted a single cause of action, for negligence, alleging that defendant had constructive notice of the icy condition and that the lighting in the rear parking lot was inadequate. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiff (see Branham v. Loews Orpheum Cinemas, Inc., 8 NY3d 931, 932 [2007]), we conclude that Supreme Court properly denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the amended complaint.Contrary to defendant’s contention, it failed to meet its initial burden on the motion (see generally Zuckerman v. City of New York, 49 NY2d 557, 562 [1980]). It is well established that, “[t]o constitute constructive notice, a defect [or dangerous condition] must be visible and apparent and it must exist for a sufficient length of time prior to the accident to permit [a defendant] to discover and remedy it” (Gordon v. American Museum of Natural History, 67 NY2d 836, 837 [1986]). Here, defendant failed to establish that the ice was not visible upon a reasonable inspection (see Derosia v. Gasbarre & Szatkowski Assn., 66 AD3d 1423, 1424 [4th Dept 2009]). In support of its motion, defendant submitted the deposition testimony of one of its  members, who stated that he plowed much of the rear parking lot to “bare blacktop” two hours before plaintiff arrived. In addition, defendant submitted the deposition testimony of plaintiff and her husband, which established that the parking lot in the area of the fall was dark and that the lighting nearby was inadequate. Thus, by its own submissions, defendant raised an issue of fact “whether the ice was merely difficult to see because of the lighting conditions, ‘i.e., whether the condition was visible and apparent [upon a reasonable inspection] and had existed for a sufficient length of time before plaintiff’s accident to permit defendant[] to discover and remedy it’” (id. at 1425; see O’Bryan v. Tonawanda Hous. Auth., 140 AD3d 1702, 1703 [4th Dept 2016]).

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

More From ALM

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
September 05, 2024
New York, NY

The New York Law Journal honors attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession in New York.


Learn More
May 23, 2024
London

Celebrate outstanding achievement in law firms, chambers, in-house legal departments and alternative business structures.


Learn More
June 20, 2024
Atlanta, GA

The Daily Report is honoring those attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession.


Learn More

Company Description CourtLaw Injury Lawyers is an established Personal Injury Law Firm with its primary office located in Perth Amboy, New J...


Apply Now ›

Black Owl Recruiting is looking for a number of qualified applicants to fill positions for a highly reputable client. Recent experience work...


Apply Now ›

McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC is seeking talented and motivated Associate Attorneys with 3-7 years of experience working closely wi...


Apply Now ›
04/29/2024
The National Law Journal

Professional Announcement


View Announcement ›
04/15/2024
Connecticut Law Tribune

MELICK & PORTER, LLP PROMOTES CONNECTICUT PARTNERS HOLLY ROGERS, STEVEN BANKS, and ALEXANDER AHRENS


View Announcement ›
04/11/2024
New Jersey Law Journal

Professional Announcement


View Announcement ›