Court Looks at Whether Defendant is Liable For Negligence

A New York Probate Lawyer said in an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the plaintiffs allegedly sustained personal injuries when the limb of a tree fell onto the motor vehicle in which they were traveling, in the defendant Village of Great Neck Estates. Thereafter, a Nassau Estate Litigation Lawyer said that, the plaintiffs commenced this action, alleging, inter alia, that the accident and their resulting injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of the Defendant County of Nassau in failing, among other things, to remove a dead and/or diseased tree. A Nassau Estate Litigation Lawyer said that, the defendant County subsequently cross-moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it on the grounds that the plaintiffs had not complied with the prior written notice requirement set forth in section 12-4.0 (e) of the Administrative Code of Nassau County and that it lacked both actual and constructive notice of the purported hazard. A Nassau Estate Litigation Lawyer said that, the defendant County additionally sought to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted by the plaintiff Lakeysha Agugbo on the ground that she did not sustain a serious injury within the meaning of Insurance Law § 5102 (d). The Supreme Court properly denied the County’s cross motion and held that: In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendant County of Nassau appeals, as limited by its brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Woodard, J.), entered February 21, 2007, as denied its cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it.

The issue in this case is whether defendant is liable for damages, for the injuries sustained by the plaintiff on the ground that the resulting injuries were proximately caused by the negligence of the Defendant County in failing, among other things, to remove a dead and/or diseased tree.
The Court in deciding the case said that, Prior written notice statutes apply to “actual physical defects in the surface of a street, highway or bridge of a kind which do not immediately come to the attention of the town officers unless they are given actual notice thereof”. Accordingly, the Court held that, the prior written notice requirement invoked by the County does not apply to the facts of this case. Furthermore, the County failed to establish a prima facie case that it lacked actual and constructive notice of the alleged hazard in this case. Lastly, the Court held that, the plaintiff Lakeysha Agugbo was not required to establish that she sustained a serious injury in the subject accident as she did not allege any negligence on the part of the County in the use or operation of a motor vehicle. Instead, the allegations against the County related to premises liability. Therefore, the Court held that, the County does not qualify as a covered person within the meaning of Insurance Law § 5102 (j) and § 5104 (a).

Accordingly, a New York Estate Administration Lawyer said the Court ordered that the order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Woodard, J.), entered February 21, 2007, as denied its cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against it, is affirmed insofar as appealed from, with costs.

The rule in claiming damages under the Administrative Code of Nassau states that, prior written notice statutes apply to “actual physical defects in the surface of a street, highway or bridge of a kind which do not immediately come to the attention of the town officers unless they are given actual notice thereof. If you have a claim for injuries sustained against a County or an Estate company, seek the legal advice of a Suffolk County Probate Lawyers to help you explain the legal consequences of your case. At Stephen Bilkis and Associates we can provide you with competent Nassau Estate Litigation Attorneys that can represent your day in Court.

Without the help of a Nassau Estate Attorney, you will lose your rights to recover damages from the party at fault. Call us for free consultation.