Hencken v. State

196 Misc. 128, 91 N.Y.S.2d 786, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2714
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedJuly 14, 1949
DocketMotion No. 1576
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 196 Misc. 128 (Hencken v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hencken v. State, 196 Misc. 128, 91 N.Y.S.2d 786, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2714 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1949).

Opinion

Lambiase, J.

This is an application by the above-named Alberta Hencken and Alfred Hencken, who are husband and wife, for permission, pursuant to subdivision 5 of section 10 of ú the Court of Claims Act, to file a claim against the State of New York. It appears that they have heretofore jointly filed a notice pf intention to file a claim and also a claim against the State of New York, both of which, concededly, were filed late with the _ clerk of this court and were served late upon the Attorney-General of the State of New York, and each of them on this application asks to be .allowed to withdraw said claim.

It is submitted by the claimants that they have brought themselves within the permissive provisions of the first above-mentioned section and subdivision, and that in the exercise of . the discretion therein provided, we should grant their application. Let us consider the claimants’ position.

It is alleged in the proposed claim forming part of the moving papers herein that:

2. The claim of Alberta Hencken is for negligence of the State of New York, and the Long Island State Park Commission in the operation, management, and control by it, or them, by their servants, agents, or employees of the roller skating rink at Jones Beach, New York, on May 28, 1948, at or about 10:80 p.m;., in that while Alberta Hencken was lawfully and properly .skating, and having paid the usual admission fees therefore, she was caused to trip, be tripped, and fall, by reason of the fact that certain persons who were then skating in and about said . roller skating rink, were doing so in a dangerous and improper " manner; that such improper acts and method of skating and activities while skating on the part of these other persons were known to the State of New York and the Long Island State Park Commission, by its servants, agents or employees, in that such acts, dangerous to other persons on the said skating rink had been going on for some period of time, and that such persons [130]*130had been cautioned on such other occasions that evening, but that such persons were not removed or directed to withdraw from said rink, and that such improper skating and dangerous acts if not known to the State of New York, and the Long Island State Park Commission, by their servants, agents or employees, by careful observation and of the ordinary care in the maintenance of the said rink, they would have known or should have known that such skating was improper. That skating in such a dangerous manner, as aforestated, the said person or persons £ cut off ’ the said Alberta Hencken while she was skating in a careful and prudent manner, so as to cause her to swerve sharply from the path of the other skaters, on the brick portion of the 1 said rink or border at the edge of the rink, which edge or border or brick portion of said rink contained groves [sic; grooves] so as not to permit smooth or proper skating, thereupon and thereby cause the skates of the said Alberta Hencken to run into one of said groves; that said brick border was thereupon maintained, operated and managed in an improper manner; that by reason of the foregoing, the said claimant was caused to trip, was tripped and was caused to fall and to be injured as to her person in and about the right arm, hand and elbow.

££ 3. The injuries sustained by Alberta Hencken are as follows : Eight — elbow — wrist: A long oblique fracture of the distal end of the shaft of the humerus with a fracture line extending into the articular surface between the condyles and displacement of the distal fragment consisting of both condyles dorsally with overriding of the fragments. The distal end of the proximal fragment is near the level of the olecranon fossa of the ulna but is anterior to the ulna when seen from the lateral aspect. There has been fragmentation of the medial condyle and also of the epicondyle and these fragments are separated from the lateral condyle by an interval of about 3 to 4 mm. In the distal end of the radius there is a transverse fracture of the shaft about 1.5 cm. above the wrist joint with a dorsal angulation and displacement of the distal fragment together with the carpol bones. The distal fragment is comminuted.

Severely comminuted fracture of the right elbow; treated by resection of the elbow joint and a long arm cast applied; treated by changes of plaster until' September 16, 1948, when cast was removed; thereupon place [sic] on postural exercises of the shoulder and of the elbow. The right elbow is flail; just about able to initiate extension of the elbow.

££ She was completely disabled until the first week of January, 1949, and has been constantly partially disabled since. [131]*131Her period of partial disability is permanent. She has sustained 100% loss of her elbow joint. On the basis of functional disability, 80% loss estimated.

The injury was accompanied by and itself occasioned severe pain, suffering, and tremendous inconvenience.

4. The claim of Alfred Hencken is * * * for loss of services, medical care, and doctor’s bills, and loss of consortium, expended to this date and which he verily believes in order to effect a full cure if possible, he will be obliged to expend in the future in behalf of his said wife, Alberta Hencken * * *.” (Claimants’ Proposed Claim, pars. 2-4.)

It is set forth in claimants’ moving papers that the Long Island State Park Commission, the State agency having jurisdiction and control of Jones Beach where Alberta Hencken was injured, was advised of the particulars of said accident by letter written and sent to it by Alfred Hencken within a week or two from the date of the accident; and that employees of said park commission were in attendance at the time of the happening of the accident and rendered assistance to Alberta Hencken. It is urged by claimants that the State of New York has had, at all times since the happening of the accident, full knowledge of the facts concerning the accident. The State does not object to the granting of the relief herein asked for upon the ground that it lacks actual knowledge of said accident. On the contrary, the assistant attorney-general who argued the motion for the State stated in open court that the State did not deny that it had such knowledge. (S. M. 11, 12.) Under the circumstances herein, we are satisfied that the State of New York, or its appropriate department, had, prior to the expiration of the time limited for the filing of the notice of intention to file a claim herein, actual knowledge of the essential facts constituting the claim herein.

The State of New York does object, however, to the granting of the relief herein prayed for by the claimants on the ground that they have failed to present a reasonable excuse for their failure to file a claim or a notice of intention to file a claim within the time limited by the Court of Claims Act for the filing thereof. The application herein is addressed to our discretion and a reasonable excuse is essential. If, therefore, the position of the State be correct, this application must be denied.

The excuse which the above-named Alberta Hencken presents may be summarized by the following statement concerning her appearing in an affidavit (pars. 4-8 thereof) duly sworn to the 2d day of May, 1949, of one Charles J. Basile, M.D., her attend[132]*132ing physician, which affidavit is part of the moving papers herein:

4.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Wolfe v. State
57 Misc. 2d 777 (New York State Court of Claims, 1968)
Landry v. State
1 A.D.2d 934 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
196 Misc. 128, 91 N.Y.S.2d 786, 1949 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 2714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hencken-v-state-nyclaimsct-1949.