Luciere v. Rahner

29 Misc. 3d 963
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 29, 2010
StatusPublished

This text of 29 Misc. 3d 963 (Luciere v. Rahner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Luciere v. Rahner, 29 Misc. 3d 963 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Randy Sue Marber, J.

The plaintiff, Ryan Luciere, moves pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7) for an order dismissing the third-party complaint on the grounds that the third-party complaint fails to state a legal cause of action. The third-party defendants, Michael Hoenig and James Mae, Jr., also move, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7), based upon similar grounds. The motion and cross motions are decided as hereinafter provided.

Facts

This action arises from serious personal injuries sustained by the plaintiff as a result of a one-car accident which occurred on December 2, 2007. The plaintiff was a passenger in a car owned and operated by the defendant, Michael Rahner. The original complaint alleges that on December 2, 2007, the defendant and third-party plaintiff, The Nutty Irishman, operated the premises in which alcoholic beverages were served to the defendant, Rahner, and he was caused to become intoxicated. The complaint states that the serious injuries sustained by the plaintiff were caused by the negligence, carelessness and recklessness of the defendants. The complaint further alleges that the defendant, Rahner, was intoxicated at the time of the accident and knew or should have known that operating a motor vehicle in said intoxicated condition posed a tremendous risk of harm to members of the public, including the plaintiff. The complaint also alleges a cause of action under the Dram Shop Act.

The third-party plaintiff, The Nutty Irishman, filed a third-party complaint against the third-party defendants, Mae and Hoenig, alleging that on December 2, 2007, Hoenig and Mae, along with the plaintiff and the defendant, Rahner, agreed that the defendant, Rahner would be the designated driver for the evening. The third-party complaint states that the defendant, [965]*965Rahner, accepted the duty of being the designated driver for the common good of Mae, Hoenig, Rahner and the plaintiff. The third-party plaintiff, The Nutty Irishman, alleges that Mae and Hoenig violated the agreement by purchasing alcohol for the defendant, Rahner, causing him to become intoxicated. Further, the third-party complaint states that the third-party defendants, Mae and Hoenig, aided and abetted in the harm resulting to the plaintiff as they were aware that purchasing alcohol for the defendant, Rahner, could result in tortious conduct leading to injuries. Based upon this conduct, the third-party plaintiff claims that it is entitled to indemnification and/or contribution from the third-party defendants.

The plaintiff and the third-party defendants, Mae and Hoenig, now seek to dismiss the third-party complaint based upon the third-party plaintiffs failure to state a legally cognizable cause of action.

Standard of Review

On a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7), the court must determine whether, from the four corners of the pleading, “factual allegations are discerned which taken together manifest any cause of action cognizable at law.” (Salvatore v Kumar, 45 AD3d 560, 563 [2d Dept 2007], lv denied 10 NY3d 703 [2008], quoting Morad v Morad, 27 AD3d 626, 627 [2d Dept 2006].) Further, the pleading is to be afforded a liberal construction, the facts alleged in the complaint accepted as true, and the plaintiffs accorded the benefit of every possible favorable inference. (Leon v Martinez, 84 NY2d 83, 87-88 [1994].)

In the instant matter, the court must initially determine whether the third-party plaintiffs allegation that the third-party defendants’, Mae and Hoenig, purchase of alcohol for the defendant, Rahner, in breach of an alleged agreement between the group, is a viable, legally cognizable cause of action in New York to establish a causal connection to the plaintiffs injuries. The third-party plaintiff urges that the court should recognize such a cause of action.

Motion to Dismiss

In support of the motion to dismiss, it is argued that the third-party defendants do not owe a duty of care to the third-party plaintiff to conform to a standard of reasonable conduct in relation to the risk involved to third persons. Citing to relevant legal authority, the plaintiffs counsel contends that the State of New York does not impose a duty on the third-party de[966]*966fendants, Mae and Hoenig, to control the conduct of third persons to prevent them from causing injury to others and that liability generally arises when the defendant has authority to control the actions of such third persons. (D’Amico v Christie, 71 NY2d 76 [1987].) The plaintiff’s counsel notes that while there may be a “moral duty” to prevent injury to another, there is no legal duty on the part of the third-party defendants to prevent injury to third persons.

In opposition to the motion and cross motions, the third-party plaintiff, The Nutty Irishman, contends that the third-party defendants, Mae and Hoenig, had a duty to not procure alcoholic beverages for the designated driver. More specifically, the third-party plaintiff states that “feeding Mr. Rahner shots and drinks knowing that he was to stay sober as he was the group[’]s designated driver” constituted negligent conduct. (See affirmation in opposition ¶ 7.) It is conceded by the third-party plaintiff that there is generally no duty to control the conduct of third persons, even where, as a practical matter, the defendant can exercise such control. However, the third-party plaintiff’s counsel states that a special relationship between Mae, Hoenig and Rahner exists due to the agreement that Rahner would be the designated driver.

In addition to the foregoing, counsel relied upon two cases to support its novel position, Halberstam v Welch (705 F2d 472, 477 [DC Cir 1983]) and Herman v Wesgate (94 AD2d 938 [4th Dept 1983]). Moreover, counsel cited to Restatement (Second) of Torts § 876, particularly the following purportedly relevant portion:

“For harm resulting to a third person from the tortious conduct of another, one is subject to liability if he:
“(a) does a tortious act in concert with the other or pursuant to a common design with him, or
“(b) knows that the other’s conduct constitutes a breach of duty and gives substantial assistance or encouragement to the other so to conduct himself.”

In reply, plaintiff’s counsel argues that the third-party plaintiff presupposes a special relationship where none exists, as an agreement for the defendant, Rahner, to be the designated driver does not create a special relationship.

Additionally, third-party defendant Mae’s counsel argues in reply, citing to D’Amico (supra), that “historically, it was the drinking of the alcohol, not the furnishing of it, that was [967]*967regarded as the proximate cause of alcohol induced injury.” Counsel also contends that neither statute nor common law imposes a duty or liability on the third-party defendants for the purported provision of alcohol to the defendant, Rahner.

Legal Analysis

The third-party plaintiff urges this court to recognize a duty where none has previously been recognized. In Herman v Wesgate (supra), a case relied upon by the third-party plaintiff, the court found a duty predicated upon the principle of concerted action liability.

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Related

Leon v. Martinez
638 N.E.2d 511 (New York Court of Appeals, 1994)
D'Amico v. Christie
518 N.E.2d 896 (New York Court of Appeals, 1987)
Morad v. Morad
27 A.D.3d 626 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2006)
Salvatore v. Kumar
45 A.D.3d 560 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 2007)
Herman v. Wesgate
94 A.D.2d 938 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1983)
Mulvey v. Cuviello
180 Misc. 2d 139 (New York Supreme Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
29 Misc. 3d 963, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luciere-v-rahner-nysupct-2010.