Mosca v. OCE Holding, Inc.

Decision Date30 March 2010
Citation898 N.Y.S.2d 204,71 A.D.3d 1103
PartiesYvonne D. MOSCA, et al., respondents, v. OCE HOLDING, INC., appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Alan I. Lamer, Elmsford, N.Y. (Fiedelman & McGaw [James K. O'Sullivan] of counsel), for appellant.

Martino & Weiss, Mount Vernon, N.Y. (Douglas J. Martino of counsel), for respondents.

WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., HOWARD MILLER, LEONARD B. AUSTIN, and SHERI S. ROMAN, JJ.

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, etc., the defendant appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Westchester County (Liebowitz, J.), dated June 1, 2009, which denied its motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff Yvonne D. Mosca (hereinafter the plaintiff) allegedly tripped and fell after catching her foot under a rail extending horizontally from the base of a photocopier. Thereafter, the plaintiff and her husband, suing derivatively, commenced this action against the defendant, the company whichprovided repair services for the photocopier. The defendant moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, and the Supreme Court denied its motion.

While we affirm the order appealed from, we do so on a ground other than that relied upon by the Supreme Court. A party who enters into a contract to render services may be said to have assumed a duty of care, and thus be potentially liable in tort, to third persons where, inter alia, "the contracting party, in failing to exercise reasonable care in the performance of his duties, launche[s] a force or instrument of harm" ( Espinal v. Melville Snow Contrs., 98 N.Y.2d 136, 140, 746 N.Y.S.2d 120, 773 N.E.2d 485 [internal quotation marks omitted] ). Here, in moving for summary judgment, the defendant failed to establish, prima facie, that it did not create or exacerbate a dangerous conditionso as to have launched a force or instrumentality of harm ( id. at 140, 746 N.Y.S.2d 120, 773 N.E.2d 485; Rina v. Windemere Home Owners Assn., Inc., 66 A.D.3d 756, 757, 887 N.Y.S.2d 231; Cornell v. 360 W. 51st St. Realty, LLC, 51 A.D.3d 469, 857 N.Y.S.2d 124; Prenderville v. International Serv. Sys., Inc., 10 A.D.3d 334, 337, 781 N.Y.S.2d 110). Accordingly, the Supreme Court properly denied the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint ( see generally Alvarez v. Prospect Hosp., 68 N.Y.2d 320, 324, 508 N.Y.S.2d 923, 501 N.E.2d 572). In light of this determination, we...

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8 cases
  • Hill v. Fence Man, Inc.
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • November 23, 2010
    ... ... New York Univ. Med. Ctr., 64 N.Y.2d 851, 853, 487 N.Y.S.2d 316, 476 N.E.2d 642; Mosca v. OCE Holding, Inc., 71 A.D.3d 1103, 898 N.Y.S.2d 204; Cooper v. American Carpet & Restoration Servs., Inc., 69 A.D.3d 552, 553, 895 N.Y.S.2d 96) ... ...
  • Martin v. Huang
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • June 28, 2011
    ...Snow Contrs., 98 N.Y.2d 136, 140, 746 N.Y.S.2d 120, 773 N.E.2d 485 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see Mosca v. OCE Holding, Inc., 71 A.D.3d 1103, 1104, 898 N.Y.S.2d 204), where it completely displaces a landowner's duty to maintain property in a reasonably safe condition pursuant to a ......
  • Richards v. Passarelli
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • October 26, 2010
    ... ... Korman, and Melissa M. Murphy of counsel), for defendant-respondent EIP Leasing Services, Inc.WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., THOMAS A. DICKERSON, RANDALL T. ENG, and PLUMMER E. LOTT, JJ.77 A.D.3d ... Cee Jay, Inc., 74 A.D.3d 1145, 903 N.Y.S.2d 515; Mosca v. OCE Holding, Inc., 71 A.D.3d 1103, 898 N.Y.S.2d 204), or that the plaintiff's injuries were not ... ...
  • Gorham v. Reliable Fence & Supply Co.
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • February 21, 2012
    ... ... A.D.3d 834939 N.Y.S.2d 490Joseph GORHAM, plaintiff-respondent,v.RELIABLE FENCE & SUPPLY CO., INC., defendant third-party defendant-appellant,Premier Storage Solutions of Third Avenue, LLC, ... , 98 N.Y.2d 136, 140, 746 N.Y.S.2d 120, 773 N.E.2d 485 [internal quotation marks omitted]; see Mosca v. OCE Holding, Inc., 71 A.D.3d 1103, 1104, 898 N.Y.S.2d 204). Here, triable issues of fact exist ... ...
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