Shui-Kwan Lui v. Serrone

• Decision Date: 06 February 2013
• Parties: SHUI–KWAN LUI, etc., respondent, v. Robert L. SERRONE, et al., appellants.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

103 A.D.3d 620
959 N.Y.S.2d 270
2013 N.Y. Slip Op. 00730

SHUI–KWAN LUI, etc., respondent,
v.
Robert L. SERRONE, et al., appellants.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Feb. 6, 2013.

[959 N.Y.S.2d 271]

Havkins Rosenfeld Ritzert & Varriale, LLP, Mineola, N.Y. (Gail L. Ritzert and Jessica Serva of counsel), for appellant.

Caesar & Napoli, New York, N.Y. (Robert Stein of counsel), for respondent.

PETER B. SKELOS, J.P., THOMAS A. DICKERSON, CHERYL E. CHAMBERS, and SYLVIA HINDS–RADIX, JJ.

[103 A.D.3d 620]In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, etc., the defendants appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Pineda–Kirwan, J.), entered July 25, 2011, which granted the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on the issue of liability.

ORDERED that the order is reversed, on the law, with costs, and the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment on the issue of liability is denied.

A driver is bound to see what is there to be seen through the proper use of his or her senses ( see Matamoro v. City of New York, 94 A.D.3d 722, 941 N.Y.S.2d 684;Wilson v. Rosedom, 82 A.D.3d 970, 919 N.Y.S.2d 59;Topalis v. Zwolski, 76 A.D.3d 524, 525, 906 N.Y.S.2d 317;Gonzalez v. County of Suffolk, 277 A.D.2d 350, 716 N.Y.S.2d 404), and is negligent for the failure to do so ( see Todd v. Godek, 71 A.D.3d 872, 895 N.Y.S.2d 861). A driver also has a duty to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances to avoid an accident

[959 N.Y.S.2d 272]

( see Filippazzo v. Santiago, 277 A.D.2d 419, 420, 716 N.Y.S.2d 710;Johnson v. Phillips, 261 A.D.2d 269, 271, 690 N.Y.S.2d 545).

Although a violation of the Vehicle and Traffic Law constitutes negligence as a matter of law ( see Vainer v. DiSalvo, 79 A.D.3d 1023, 914 N.Y.S.2d 236;Botero v. Erraez, 289 A.D.2d 274, 734 N.Y.S.2d 565;Ferrara v. Castro, 283 A.D.2d 392, 724 N.Y.S.2d 81;Packer v. Mirasola, 256 A.D.2d 394, 681 N.Y.S.2d 559), “ ‘[t]here can be more than one proximate cause of an accident’ ” ( Lopez v. Reyes–Flores, 52 A.D.3d 785, 786, 861 N.Y.S.2d 389, quoting Cox v. Nunez, 23 A.D.3d 427, 427, 805 N.Y.S.2d 604;see Allen v. Echols, 88 A.D.3d 926, 927, 931 N.Y.S.2d 402). Consequently, “the proponent of a summary judgment motion has the burden of establishing freedom from comparative negligence as a matter of law” ( Pollack v. Margolin, 84 A.D.3d 1341, 1342, 924 N.Y.S.2d 282;see Gardella v. Esposito Foods, Inc., 80 A.D.3d 660, 660, 914 N.Y.S.2d 678), bearing in mind “that the issue of...