Pyptiuk v. Kramer

295 A.D.2d 768, 744 N.Y.S.2d 519, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6500
CourtAppellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York
DecidedJune 20, 2002
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 295 A.D.2d 768 (Pyptiuk v. Kramer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pyptiuk v. Kramer, 295 A.D.2d 768, 744 N.Y.S.2d 519, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6500 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

Cardona, P.J.

Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court (Ellison, J.H.O.), entered January 12, 2001 in Tioga County, which denied plaintiffs’ motion to set aside a verdict in favor of defendant.

On February 24, 1998, at approximately 3:05 p.m., a vehicle driven by plaintiff Laurie B. Pyptiuk (hereinafter plaintiff) collided head-on with defendant’s vehicle on Barden Road in the Town of Candor, Tioga County. In April 1998, plaintiff and her husband, plaintiff Roy Pyptiuk, a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident, commenced this personal injury action asserting individual causes of action in negligence and derivative claims for loss of services. At the ensuing jury trial, the testimony established that, at the time of the accident, plaintiffs were traveling downhill on a curve in the southbound lane of Barden Road. Defendant was traveling northbound in the opposite lane. The road was only wide enough for two cars to pass and contained neither lane markings nor shoulders. It was snowing moderately at the time and the road was covered with snow. Prior plowing had left snow banks.

According to plaintiff, she was traveling 15 miles per hour [769]*769down the hill with her headlights and wipers on, “feathering” the brakes, when defendant’s truck appeared in the middle of the road approximately 300 feet away. Plaintiff testified that she moved her vehicle as far to the right as possible, however, defendant’s vehicle continued coming in her direction until it collided with her vehicle in her lane of travel. Plaintiff’s version of the events was confirmed by her husband.

In contrast, defendant testified that he was traveling 25 to 30 miles per hour in four-wheel drive when he glanced up the hill and saw plaintiffs’ vehicle appear from around the bend in the middle of the road heading towards him. Defendant testified that the headlights were off on plaintiffs’ vehicle and, by the time he saw the car, it was only IV2 to 2 car lengths in front of him, leaving him only three to five seconds to react. Defendant testified that he attempted to maneuver to “get out of her way,” but was unsuccessful and the parties collided in his lane of travel. Defendant’s testimony was corroborated by a nonparty witness to the accident, Ricky Gillette, who was approximately 10 yards away when he viewed the collision. Gillette stated that plaintiffs’ vehicle was skidding with its back wheels locked when it came around the corner and drifted into defendant’s lane of travel. He testified that defendant was in his proper lane of travel when the collision occurred and the only way he could have avoided the collision would have been by driving through a snow bank and off the road.

At the close of proof, Supreme Court denied defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint and plaintiffs’ motion for a directed verdict pursuant to CPLR 4401. The case was submitted to a jury which found that defendant was not negligent and rendered a verdict in his favor. Plaintiffs moved pursuant to CPLR 4404 (a) seeking a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, an order setting aside the verdict on the ground that the verdict was against the weight of the evidence or an order directing a new trial in the interest of justice. Supreme Court denied plaintiffs’ motion

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Bluebook (online)
295 A.D.2d 768, 744 N.Y.S.2d 519, 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 6500, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pyptiuk-v-kramer-nyappdiv-2002.