Danielenko v. Kinney Rent a Car, Inc.

84 A.D.2d 159, 445 N.Y.S.2d 464, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14912
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJanuary 5, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 84 A.D.2d 159 (Danielenko v. Kinney Rent a Car, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Danielenko v. Kinney Rent a Car, Inc., 84 A.D.2d 159, 445 N.Y.S.2d 464, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14912 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Murphy, P.J.

Both the operative facts of this appeal and the broad [160]*160legal principles governing the negligence area are fairly stated in the dissenting opinion. However, viewing the evidence most favorably to the individual plaintiffs, we find that Kinney had a duty to use reasonable care to prevent the placement of the bomb. We also find that that risk of danger was foreseeable. For these reasons, we would affirm.

Kinney, as the lessor-bailor of the automobile, was obligated to use reasonable care to ensure that, at the time of the letting, it was free from defects or weaknesses that rendered it unfit for its known intended use (9 NY Jur 2d, Bailments and Chattel Leases, §76, p 90; La Rocca v Farrington, 301 NY 247). This basic principle must naturally be extended upon the facts in this case to impose upon Kinney the obligation to use due care to ensure that the contents of the leased vehicle, at delivery, were not harmful to the lessee-bailee, Tracealarm, or its employees. There is no merit to Kinney’s contention that it could not have anticipated, and thus, it cannot be held liable for the criminal act of some unknown third person who planted the bomb. (Saugerties Bank v Delaware & Hudson Co., 236 NY 425, 431.) A duty to protect from a foreseeable criminal act often arises from certain relationships (cf. Loeser v Nathan Hale Gardens, 73 AD2d 187). Kinney, as the bailor of the automobile, owed that duty to the individual plaintiffs in this proceeding. Therefore, Kinney may not absolve itself from all liability by merely pointing to the criminal act of some unknown person.

With regard to the question of foreseeability, the Court of Appeals has stated that: “While for one to be held liable in negligence he need not foresee novel or extraordinary consequences, it is enough that he be aware of the risk of danger” (Johnson v State, 37 NY2d 378, 382). On this same subject, the First Department has observed that, while the specific details of an unusual accident might not have been envisioned, it need only have been foreseeable that injury might be caused by a negligent act (Baker v Leuner Trucking, 54 AD2d 654).

In addition to renting vehicles, Kinney (used singularly to cover all the Kinney companies) often acts as a garage-[161]*161man in New York City. In that alternative role as a bailee, it is aware from experience that theft and vandalism regularly occur in its garages and other garages in the city. Upon the failure of Kinney or any other garageman to use reasonable care in the protection of a vehicle entrusted to its care, the bailor of the vehicle is entitled to recover for any damages incurred. (See, e.g., Motors Ins. Corp. v American Garages, 98 Misc 2d 887; Palazzo v Katz Parking Systems, 64 Misc 2d 720; cf. Sherber v Kinney Systems, 42 Misc 2d 530; 25 NY Jur, Garages, § 32, p 122.)

In its present role of bailor, Kinney was required to be equally vigilant in protecting its own vehicle through the use of reasonable care. While Kinney might not have specifically foreseen that a bomb would be placed under the front seat of the vehicle, it should have been fully aware that other serious damage could be caused to a vehicle left unattended in its garage. It is not unknown in this city for an intruder to vandalize the steering, braking or other critical mechanism of a car while parked in a garage. If the bailee-lessee of such a damaged vehicle was subsequently injured or killed, Kinney could hardly argue that the vandalism was unforeseeable. Similarly, in the instant case, Kinney might not have foreseen the exact form of the terroristic act, but it should have foreseen the possibility that a senseless act of terrorism might occur. To the lessee injured or killed, it matters little that Kinney’s negligence permitted a bomb to be planted in the vehicle rather than its brake wires to be severed.

There was ample evidence in this record to support the jury’s determination that Kinney had not taken reasonable precaution to secure its garage and to safeguard this vehicle from a foreseeable criminal act. (Cf. Klein v Sura Jewelry Mfg. Corp., 53 AD2d 854.) The criminal act was not an intervening cause that relieved Kinney from all responsibility since it was Kinney’s duty vis-a-vis its lessees to guard against such criminal acts. Although it was impractical for the railroad to guard its many miles of track in Deyo v New York Cent. R.R. Co. (34 NY 9), it was [162]*162physically possible for Kinney to take reasonable steps to protect its vehicles for hire.

We find no merit to the other points raised by Kinney.

Accordingly, the resettled order and interlocutory judgment (one paper) of the Supreme Court, New York County (Wallach, J.), entered on or about February 5, 1981, which, inter alia, found defendant Kinney liable for 40% of the individual plaintiffs’ damages, should be affirmed, without costs.

Lupiano, J. (dissenting).

Third-party defendant Trace-alarm, Inc., engages in the business of transporting money and valuables under the protection of armed guards. As a security measure, it rented ordinary sedan vehicles from defendant-appellant Kinney Rent A Car, Inc. (hereinafter Kinney). On May 27, 1971, four employees of Tracealarm, Inc. (plaintiffs Frank Danielenko, Benjamin Balabanski, George Murray and Harold Spink) were assigned to transport a payroll from Manhattan to Kennedy Airport. Plaintiff Spink (the driver) arrived at the Kinney garage on East 40th Street in Manhattan at 3:40 a.m. to pick up the rented vehicle to be utilized in this transportation. Shortly before this date there had been labor disturbances at Kinney regarding employee layoffs. Spink found the garage doors open and no attendant or guard posted near the entrance. He was given a 1971 low mileage Ford Galaxy chosen by a Kinney employee. Inspecting the car for exterior damage (to avoid potential damage claims against his employer) which inspection disclosed nothing unusual, Spink observed that the vehicle was the same one he had rented two days earlier. The odometer reading disclosed that the vehicle had not been used in the interim.

Having signed for the vehicle, Spink drove it to the Tracealarm office in Manhattan, left it locked and joined the other three afore-mentioned individual plaintiffs in the office from whose window they observed the vehicle as part of their regular security procedure. After being entrusted with the payroll by the Tracealarm dispatcher, the four left the office and entered the rented car. Spink observed that the vehicle showed no signs of tampering. While driving on the Van Wyck Expressway to the airport an explosion [163]*163occurred which destroyed the vehicle and about half of the payroll and seriously injured the car’s occupants. A police expert testified to recovering a spring and mechanical dial timer from under the front passenger seat. The explosion was apparently caused by a bomb planted under that seat.

Suits were filed on behalf of the four injured employees of Tracealarm against Kinney sounding in negligence. (Spink also sought recovery predicated on breach of warranty.) Tracealarm sued Kinney for recovery of the payroll money destroyed by the explosion. Kinney initiated a third-party complaint in negligence against Tracealarm. Tracealarm defaulted in answering.

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Related

Danielenko v. Kinney Rent a Car, Inc.
441 N.E.2d 1073 (New York Court of Appeals, 1982)

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84 A.D.2d 159, 445 N.Y.S.2d 464, 1982 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 14912, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/danielenko-v-kinney-rent-a-car-inc-nyappdiv-1982.