Natijehbashem v. United States

828 F. Supp. 2d 499, 2011 WL 6225221
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJuly 13, 2011
DocketNo. 10-CV-0247 (SJF)(AKT)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 828 F. Supp. 2d 499 (Natijehbashem v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Natijehbashem v. United States, 828 F. Supp. 2d 499, 2011 WL 6225221 (E.D.N.Y. 2011).

Opinion

OPINION & ORDER

FEUERSTEIN, District Judge.

I. Introduction

On January 21, 2010, plaintiff Homa Natijehbashem (“plaintiff’) and her husband Sion Ouriel (“plaintiffs husband”)1 commenced this action against defendant United States of America (“defendant”) pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act (“FTCA”), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1346(b), 2671, et seq., seeking, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries she allegedly sustained as a result of a trip and fall over a purported defective condition existing on the public sidewalk adjacent to property [501]*501leased by defendant. Defendant now moves pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. For the reasons set forth herein, defendant’s motion is granted.

II. Background

A. Factual Background

On February 24, 2006, defendant executed a lease agreement pursuant to which it leased from Mineóla PO, LLC (“the landowner”) the premises located at 66 Mineóla Avenue, Roslyn Heights, New York (“the Roslyn Heights Post Office”) for a fixed term of ten (10) years, beginning September 1, 2007 and ending August 31, 2017. (Declaration of Harlan Platz [Platz Deck], Ex. A). A straight, public sidewalk abuts the front of the Roslyn Heights Post Office. (Defendant’s Rule 56.1 Statement of Material Facts [Def. 56.1 Stat.], ¶2; Declaration of Michael DiDonato [DiDonato Deck], ¶ 3)2. Defendant did not install, maintain or repair the sidewalk, (Def. 56.1 Stat., ¶ 3; DiDonato Deck, ¶ 4), and never received notice of any kind that the sidewalk was in a dangerous or unsafe condition, (Def. 56.1 Stat., ¶ 4; DiDonato Deck, ¶ 4).

On January 10, 2008, at approximately 6:30 a.m., plaintiff was walking with her husband in front of the Roslyn Heights Post Office. (Transcript of the Deposition of Homa Natijehbashem [Plf. Dep.], pp. 22-26, 40; Transcript of the Deposition of Sion Ouriel [Ouriel Dep.], p. 9). The ground was dry and unobstructed. (Plf. Dep., pp. 22-23; Ouriel Dep., p. 10). Daylight was beginning, (Plf. Dep., p. 22), although it was still dark outside. (Plf. Dep., pp. 22-23).3 Plaintiff claims that after crossing the street, she took “[t]wo or three steps” from the curb onto the public sidewalk in front of the Roslyn Heights Post Office and “was about to turn,” when she tripped on “a bulge” and fell. (Plf. Dep., pp. 24, 29, 32, 35, 61; Ouriel Dep., pp. 11,14-15).

Plaintiff identified the “bulge” as “a level which was raised on the ground” on a part of the sidewalk in front of the Roslyn Heights Post Office, (Plf. Dep., p. 29), but she could not identify the exact area of the sidewalk where she fell. (Plf. Dep., pp. 29-36, 61, 64-65). Plaintiff’s husband testified that he looked at the area after plaintiff fell and saw “something on the asphalt. It was something raised, and it was a little bit higher.” (Ouriel Dep., pp. 13-16). Plaintiffs counsel identified the “bulge” over which plaintiff allegedly tripped as a surface height differential of one inch (1") between a strip of asphalt and the concrete sidewalk. (Declaration of Diane Cabrera [Cabrera Deck], ¶4, Ex. B; Declaration of Harlan Platz [Platz Deck], ¶ 5). After receiving photographs of the area where plaintiff claims to have fallen, taken on or about February 6, 2008, Michael DiDonato (“DiDonato” or “the postmaster”), the postmaster for the Roslyn Heights Post Office, measured the actual height differential between the sidewalk and the asphalt where plaintiff claims to have fallen to be one-half (.5) inch. (DiDonato Deck, ¶ 5; Ex. A).

[502]*502B. Procedural Background

On January 21, 2010, plaintiff commenced this action against defendant pursuant to the FTCA, seeking, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries she allegedly sustained as a result of the trip and fall over the height differential on the public sidewalk abutting the front of the Roslyn Heights Post Office.

Following the close of discovery on April 27, 2011, (Doc. No. 33), defendant filed this motion pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure seeking summary judgment dismissing the complaint. According to defendant, it is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because: (a) there is no evidence that it, or any special use by it, created the height differential, and the applicable ordinance of the Town of North Hempstead (the “Town Code”) does not expressly impose tort liability on a landowner or lessee for pedestrian injuries caused by a failure to repair a public sidewalk; and (b) in any event, the height differential in the sidewalk between the asphalt and concrete surface, whether one-half inch QfT) or one inch (1"), is not actionable as a matter of law.

III. Discussion

A. Summary Judgment Standard

Summary judgment should not be granted unless “the pleadings, the discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). In ruling on a summary judgment motion, the district court must first “determine whether there is a genuine dispute as to a material fact, raising an issue for trial.” McCarthy v. Dun & Bradstreet Corp., 482 F.3d 184, 202 (2d Cir.2007) (internal quotations and citations omitted); see Ricci v. DeStefano, 557 U.S. 557, 129 S.Ct. 2658, 2677, 174 L.Ed.2d 490 (2009) (holding that “[o]n a motion for summary judgment, facts must be viewed in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party only if there is a ‘genuine’ dispute as to those facts.” (Emphasis added) (internal quotations and citation omitted)). “A fact is material if it ‘might affect the outcome of the suit under governing law.’ ” Spinelli v. City of New York, 579 F.3d 160, 166 (2d Cir.2009) (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)). “Where the undisputed facts reveal that there is an absence of sufficient proof as to one essential element of a claim, any factual disputes with respect to other elements become immaterial and cannot defeat a motion for summary judgment.” Chandok v. Klessig, 632 F.3d 803, 812 (2d Cir.2011); see also Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986) (holding that summary judgment is appropriate when the non-moving party has no evidentiary support for an essential element for which it bears the burden of proof).

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828 F. Supp. 2d 499, 2011 WL 6225221, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/natijehbashem-v-united-states-nyed-2011.