Parker v. Dunn

43 Misc. 3d 377, 978 N.Y.S.2d 827
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 13, 2014
StatusPublished

This text of 43 Misc. 3d 377 (Parker v. Dunn) 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
Parker v. Dunn, 43 Misc. 3d 377, 978 N.Y.S.2d 827 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2014).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Dennis M. Kehoe, J.

The defendant Hazlitt’s 1852 Vineyards, Inc., doing business as Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards & Winery has moved for an order [379]*379granting summary judgment against both plaintiffs and dismissing their respective complaints, as well as an order dismissing the cross claims of both codefendants (Jamie P. Dunn and Shirley A. Woughter). The plaintiffs have opposed the motion, maintaining that there are factual issues which must await determination at trial. The codefendants have joined in the plaintiffs’ opposition to Hazlitt’s motion for summary judgment.

The action arises from a motor vehicle accident which occurred on May 31, 2009, on State Route 414 in the Town of Hector, New York, at approximately 5:50 p.m. The defendant Dunn, who was operating a vehicle owned by defendant Woughter, was leaving Hazlitt’s vineyard and winery where he worked as a tasting room employee, having completed his shift for the day. Dunn proceeded to strike the motorcycles operated by plaintiffs Gary Parker and Timothy Herkimer with his vehicle in a head-on crash. Parker was killed, and Herkimer was seriously injured. Subsequently, the defendant Dunn was convicted in Schuyler County after his guilty plea to counts charging him with manslaughter in the second degree, vehicular assault in the second degree and driving while intoxicated as a misdemeanor. A breathalyzer test administered almost two hours after the accident indicated that Dunn’s BAC count was .17%.

Timothy Herkimer and his wife, and Larry J. Parker, as administrator of the estate of Gary W. Parker, subsequently commenced separate actions against the abovenamed defendants. These actions have now been consolidated for purposes of discovery, motions and trial.

The plaintiffs have essentially based their claims against Hazlitt’s on four theories of law: (1) violation of General Obligations Law § 11-101 (known as the Dram Shop Act); (2) violation of General Obligations Law § 11-100 (the so-called Social Host Law); (3) violation of Alcoholic Beverage Control Law § 65.2 (as set forth in the plaintiffs’ bill of particulars); and (4) common-law negligence, including the theory of respondeat superior. Hazlitt’s maintains that each of these theories of liability must be dismissed as a matter of law.

Turning first to the alleged violation of section 65 (2) of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, the court must agree with Hazlitt’s position that the section is inapplicable to the current circumstances. Section 65 (2) provides in part as follows: “No person shall sell, deliver or give away or cause or permit or [380]*380procure to be sold, delivered or given away any alcoholic beverages to . . . [a]ny visibly intoxicated person.” The credible evidence set forth in the moving papers as supplied by the depositions of the employees on duty at Hazlitt’s on the day in question indicates that Dunn, despite his breathalyzer results, was not visibly intoxicated on the day in question. Of more significance, case law has established that section 65 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law does not give rise to a private right of action (see e.g. Sherman v Robinson, 80 NY2d 483, 487 [1992]; Dodge v Victory Mkts., 199 AD2d 917, 919 [3d Dept 1993]).

Next, the court has considered the plaintiffs’ reliance on the so-called “Social Host Law.” Both case law and the language of the statute itself make it clear that the law is designed to provide a right of action against a person who provides alcohol to an underage minor, who later suffers injuries due to intoxication. Underage drinking is not an issue here.

The court has carefully considered whether there is any theory of common-law negligence which would provide an arguable basis for liability on the part of the winery. In D’Amico v Christie (71 NY2d 76, 83 [1987]), the Court of Appeals stated as follows:

“At common law, one who provided intoxicating liquor was not liable for injuries caused by the drinker, who was held solely responsible. Excessive alcohol consumption was deemed to be the proximate cause of injuries produced by the inebriate; selling or furnishing alcohol to an adult who elected to become intoxicated was not viewed as the root of the resulting harm.”

This analysis of common-law liability for injuries based on intoxication remains controlling today, with limited statutory exceptions.

Vicarious liability may be imposed upon Hazlitt’s only if the accident occurred on the defendant’s property, or if Dunn was acting in the scope of his employment at the time of the collision. However, the accident occurred on a public highway approximately one mile from the winery. In Martino v Stolzman (18 NY3d 905, 908 [2012] [citations omitted]), the Court of Appeals has recently reiterated its position regarding the liability of landowners:

“It has long been the rule in New York that ‘[Band-owners in general have a duty to act in a reasonable manner to prevent harm to those on their property.’ [381]*381‘In particular, they have a duty to control the conduct of third persons on their premises when they have the opportunity to control such persons.’ Here, the Olivers were no longer in a position to control Stolzman when he entered his vehicle and drove away. Furthermore, we agree with the dissenting Justices at the Appellate Division that ‘requiring social hosts to prevent intoxicated guests from leaving their property would inappropriately expand the concept of duty.’ ”

Nor can the plaintiffs establish vicarious liability on the part of Hazlitt’s under the doctrine of respondeat superior in these circumstances. In Lundberg v State of New York (25 NY2d 467, 470 [1969] [emphasis and citation omitted]), the Court of Appeals held in part as follows:

“Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer will be liable for the negligence of an employee committed while the employee is acting in the scope of his employment. An employee acts in the scope of his employment when he is doing something in furtherance of the duties he owes to his employer and where the employer is, or could be, exercising some control, directly or indirectly, over the employee’s activities.”

There is no evidence that Dunn was acting within the scope of his employment at the time he left the winery. He was returning home; he was not operating a company vehicle; and his actions were neither controlled by his employer, nor performed in furtherance of his employer’s business. There is no basis on which to impose liability on Hazlitt’s under the doctrine of respondeat superior.

Finally, the court must determine whether there is any possible claim which can be made by the plaintiffs against Hazlitt’s based upon an alleged violation of the Dram Shop Act. General Obligations Law § 11-101 (1) states as follows:

“Any person who shall be injured in person, property, means of support, or otherwise by any intoxicated person, or by reason of the intoxication of any person, whether resulting in his death or not, shall have a right of action against any person who shall, by unlawful selling to or unlawfully assisting in procuring liquor for such intoxicated person, have caused or contributed to such intoxication; and in any such action such person shall have a right to re[382]*382cover actual and exemplary damages.”

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Related

Martino v. Stolzman
964 N.E.2d 399 (New York Court of Appeals, 2012)
Lundberg v. State of New York
255 N.E.2d 177 (New York Court of Appeals, 1969)
D'Amico v. Christie
518 N.E.2d 896 (New York Court of Appeals, 1987)
Sherman v. Robinson
606 N.E.2d 1365 (New York Court of Appeals, 1992)
Slocum v. D's & Jayes Valley Restaurant & Cafe, Inc.
182 A.D.2d 981 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1992)
Dodge v. Victory Markets, Inc.
199 A.D.2d 917 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1993)
Stevens v. Spec, Inc.
224 A.D.2d 811 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1996)
Fox v. Clare Rose Beverage, Inc.
262 A.D.2d 526 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1999)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 Misc. 3d 377, 978 N.Y.S.2d 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/parker-v-dunn-nysupct-2014.