Moreau v. Josaphat

42 Misc. 3d 345, 975 N.Y.S.2d 851
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 28, 2013
StatusPublished

This text of 42 Misc. 3d 345 (Moreau v. Josaphat) 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
Moreau v. Josaphat, 42 Misc. 3d 345, 975 N.Y.S.2d 851 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2013).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

David I. Schmidt, J.

Defendants Zipcar, Inc., sued herein as Zipcar New York, Inc. (Zipcar), and Donlen Corporation (Donlen Corp.) move, pursuant to CPLR 3211 (a) (7) and 3212, to dismiss the complaint of plaintiffs Moses Moreau and Inel Duverson (plaintiffs) and all cross claims insofar as asserted against them.

Facts and Procedural History

This action was commenced by plaintiffs to recover damages for personal injuries they sustained in a two-car accident that occurred on April 17, 2012, at approximately 3:15 a.m. on Linden Boulevard, near its intersection with Church Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Plaintiffs were passengers in the first vehicle, a 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid, operated by defendant Josaphat. The Nissan Altima was owned by Donlen Corp. Donlen Corp. had leased the Altima to Zipcar, and Zipcar had rented it to Mr. Josaphat, pursuant to its “Zipcar Membership Contract.” Codefendant Khurram Shehzad was the owner, operator, and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a 2002 Ford Explorer. According to the accident report, Mr. Shehzad stated that as he was making a left turn from Linden Boulevard onto Church Street, he was struck by Mr. Josaphat’s vehicle. Mr. Josaphat stated that while he was attempting to make a U-turn onto Linden Boulevard, he was struck by Mr. Shehzad’s vehicle.

Subsequently, plaintiffs commenced this action against defendants by the filing of a summons and verified complaint. The verified complaint alleges that plaintiffs’ injuries were a result of negligence on the part of defendants who were careless, reckless, and negligent in their “ownership, operation, manage[347]*347ment, maintenance and control” of their respective vehicles in that defendants operated their vehicles “in reckless disregard for the safety of others ... at a dangerous rate of speed under the circumstances . . . [and] failed to steer, maneuver and keep a proper lookout” and that “defendants permitted said vehicle to be improperly and/or defectively equipped with good and sufficient brakes . . . and failed to properly apply the same at the time of the accident.” The basis for plaintiffs’ claim against Zip-car and Donlen Corp. is Vehicle and Traffic Law § 388, which imposes vicarious liability upon the owner of a vehicle for the negligence of the driver.

Issue was joined by Zipcar by service of an amended answer, in which it raised the affirmative defense of the Graves Amendment (49 USC § 30106), which prohibits claims for vicarious liability against automobile rental companies in actions commenced after August 10, 2005.1 Issue was subsequently joined by codefendants Josaphat/Donlen, and Shehzad, in which they generally denied the allegations of the complaint.

Thereafter, Zipcar’s counsel sent a letter to plaintiffs’ counsel advising that Zipcar was not a proper party to the suit based upon the Graves Amendment, and asked that plaintiffs voluntarily discontinue the action against Zipcar. Plaintiffs, however, did not respond to the request.

Subsequently, Zipcar and Donlen Corp. (hereinafter defendants) made the instant motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ complaint. In support of their motion, defendants argue that the two causes of action alleged against them by plaintiffs, namely, that they are vicariously liable for plaintiffs’ injuries because they owned the Nissan Altima Zipcar vehicle operated by Mr. Josaphat, and that they negligently maintained the vehicle, are both without merit.

With respect to their former argument, defendants contend that the Graves Amendment explicitly prohibits claims for vicarious liability against a motor vehicle rental company such as Zipcar and against vehicle lessors, such as Donlen Corp. In support of this argument, defendants annex the sworn affidavit of Zipcar’s corporate risk manager, Ms. Gail Newman, as well as exhibits maintained by Zipcar, which Ms. Newman states were made in the regular course of Zipcar’s business. Specifically, Ms. [348]*348Newman avers that she performed a search of Zipcar’s internal records and files, including the rental and maintenance history of the subject Nissan Altima, the title and the lease agreement, and the membership and application records of Mr. Josaphat, a Zipcar member and the operator of the Nissan Altima involved in the subject accident. According to Ms. Newman:

“Zipcar is a membership-based car-sharing company that provides short term car rentals to its members, where members pay fees and usage fees that are billable by the hour or day. Rental rates include gas, insurance, and roadside assistance — as outlined in the membership contract. Members can reserve vehicles online, over the phone, or through Zipcar’s mobile applications. . . .
“Since its incorporation, and continuing to the present, Zipcar is and has been a company engaged in the business of renting motor vehicles as the term pertains to [the Graves Amendment].”

Ms. Newman further states that Zipcar leased the Nissan Altima from Donlen Corp. beginning on or about March 2, 2010; that she has been advised by Zipcar’s attorneys that Zipcar is an “owner” of the subject vehicle as defined by Vehicle and Traffic Law § 128;2 and that therefore “Zipcar . . . and Donlen Corporation are afforded the protections set forth in the Graves Amendment.” Ms. Newman also avers that a Zipcar membership contract dated January 10, 2012 existed between Zipcar and Mr. Josaphat on the date of the subject accident, which she annexes, and states that Mr. Josaphat’s contract constitutes the entire rental agreement for this particular vehicle, which was made in the regular course of Zipcar’s business.

With respect to plaintiffs’ second cause of action alleging negligent maintenance, Ms. Newman avers that she searched the maintenance records for the Nissan Altima (which she also annexes) and determined that no complaints or issues were brought to Zipcar’s attention with regard to the maintenance or operation of the vehicle during the time from when it came into Zipcar’s possession in March 2010 through the date of the [349]*349subject accident (Apr. 17, 2010). She also states that “[w]ork performed on the vehicles [sic] is part of the regularly scheduled maintenance program”; that in the 30 days prior to this accident, the Nissan Altima was rented 53 times; that on April 16, 2010, pursuant to Mr. Josaphat’s membership contract with Zipcar, Zipcar rented to Mr. Josaphat a 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid Sedan with New York State license plate number EYA8816 and vehicle identification number 1N4CL2AP1AC139460; and that Mr. Josaphatis not and has never been an employee or agent of Zipcar. Based upon the foregoing evidence demonstrating that Zipcar and Donlen Corp. are “professional lessors and renters of vehicles” (see Graham v Dunkley, 50 AD3d 55, 57 [2008]), defendants contend that the complaint fails to state a cognizable cause of action against them premised upon vicarious liability.

Defendants also argue that they have made a prima facie showing that the Nissan Altima was free from any mechanical problems from the time it first came into Zipcar’s possession in March 2010 through the date of the subject accident; that the vehicle was regularly maintained; and that it had been rented 53 times in the month preceding the accident with no evidence of any mechanical difficulties. They also note that Mr. Josaphat does not claim that any mechanical problem with the Zipcar vehicle contributed to the accident. Further, relying upon

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Bluebook (online)
42 Misc. 3d 345, 975 N.Y.S.2d 851, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/moreau-v-josaphat-nysupct-2013.