Wisner v. Farquhar

154 F.R.D. 39, 1994 WL 124296
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedApril 5, 1994
DocketNo. 92-CV-445
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 154 F.R.D. 39 (Wisner v. Farquhar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wisner v. Farquhar, 154 F.R.D. 39, 1994 WL 124296 (N.D.N.Y. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM-DECISION and ORDER

HURD, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION.

This action is the result of an accident which occurred on September 14, 1990, when the plaintiff, Janet L. Wisner, slipped and fell on the premises owned by the third-party defendant, Fern Farquhar (“Farquhar”), and leased to the defendant, United States of America (“United States”), for the purpose of operating a post office. She sustained certain personal injuries as a result of the fall.

Suit was commenced on April 7, 1992, by plaintiff and her husband, David Wisner, for damages allegedly caused by the negligence of the United States. An administrative claim was filed against the postal service by Janet Wisner. However, no claim was submitted by her husband, nor did plaintiffs name the Postmaster General, or Farquhar the owner of the premises, as party defendants. On June 1, 1992, the United States commenced a third-party action against Farquhar. The United States has moved for summary judgment, dismissing plaintiffs action against it pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56. Farquhar has joined in that motion, but has [41]*41not made a separate motion to dismiss the third-party complaint. Plaintiffs oppose the motion.

II. SUMMARY JUDGMENT.

A motion for summary judgment may be granted only when the moving party carries its burden of showing the absence of a genuine issue of material fact. Fed.R.Civ.P. 56; Goldman, Antonetti, Ferraiuoli, Axtmayer & Hertell, Partnership v. Medfit Int'l Inc., 982 F.2d 686, 689 (1st Cir.1993); Thompson v. Gjivoje, 896 F.2d 716, 720 (2d Cir.1990). (citations omitted). “Ambiguities or inferences to be drawn from the facts must be viewed in a light most favorable to the party opposing the summary judgment motion.” Project Release v. Prevost, 722 F.2d 960, 968 (2d Cir.1983). In other words, a motion for summary judgment pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 56 shall be granted only “when the pleadings, evidence obtained through discovery, and affidavits show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and that the moving party is entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law.” Lang v. Retirement Living Pub. Co., 949 F.2d 576, 580 (2d Cir.1991). Therefore, “summary judgment will not lie if the dispute about a material fact is ‘genuine,’ that is, if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party.” Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2510, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Thus, if the nonmoving party can not produce sufficient evidence to support a jury verdict, summary judgment is proper. Id. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2510-11. “In determining how a reasonable jury would decide, the Court must resolve all ambiguities and draw all inferences against the moving party.” Lang, 949 F.2d at 580. However, when the moving party has met the burden, the non-moving party must do more than “simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986); see also Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 247-48, 106 S.Ct. at 2509-10. At that point, the nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. “The judge’s function is not ... to weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter,” Liberty Lobby, at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2511, such “is the prerogative of the finder of fact.” Murphy v. Provident Mutual Life Ins. Co., 923 F.2d 923, 930 (2d Cir.1990) (Kearse, J., dissenting), cert. denied, — U.S. - , 112 S.Ct. 65, 116 L.Ed.2d 40 (1991). Therefore, the judge’s role is “to determine whether there does indeed exist a genuine issue for trial.” Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 249, 106 S.Ct. at 2511.

Additionally, the courts of New York have consistently warned against granting a summary judgment motion because “negligence cases by their nature do not usually lend themselves to summary judgment,” Ugarriza v. Schmieder, 46 N.Y.2d 471, 474, 386 N.E.2d 1324, 1325, 414 N.Y.S.2d 304, 305 (1979), for “even when the facts are conceded, there is often a question as to whether the defendant or the plaintiff acted reasonably under the circumstances [, an issue which] can rarely be decided as a matter of law.” Lugo v. LJN Toys, Ltd., 146 A.D.2d 168, 170, 539 N.Y.S.2d 922, 923-24 (1st Dept.1989) (quoting Andre v. Pomeroy, 35 N.Y.2d 361, 364, 320 N.E.2d 853, 854-55, 362 N.Y.S.2d 131, 133 (1974)), aff'd, 75 N.Y.2d 850, 552 N.E.2d 162, 552 N.Y.S.2d 914 (1990).

III. FACTS.

Farquhar and the United States are parties to a written lease agreement for the premises located in Adams Center, New York. This building has been leased to the United States for use as a post office since 1962. The lease names lessor (Farquhar) as the party required to maintain the premises in good repair and tenantable condition.1 However, since the sidewalks were constructed by the United States, and the sidewalks and landscape area were included in the description of the leased property, but not specifically referenced in clause 11(a) of the lease, lessee (United States) holds responsibility for those areas. The responsibility of [42]*42Farquhar, if any, need not be determined at this time.

Plaintiff obtained a post office box in the facility in December 1988, and picked up her mail on a regular basis at 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, when the facility opened. Prior to the accident, plaintiff never slipped while using the sidewalk. There is no evidence of anyone slipping or falling on the sidewalk prior to the plaintiffs accident. Plaintiff informed a postal worker of the poor maintenance of the sidewalk during the winter of 1988-89 stating, “I spoke to the maintenance man one time ... it was in the wintertime and [the sidewalk] needed to be salted.” (Wisner Dep. at 21). The weather was clear and dry on September 14,1990, but the sidewalk was damp from a heavy dew the night before, and also had a scattering of small stones, sand, twigs, and leaves. Plaintiff described the accident, stating that she was leaving the Adams Center Post Office on the morning of September 14, 1990, “and the next thing I knew I was on the ground---I felt my foot slip and I tried to stop myself, but I couldn’t.”

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154 F.R.D. 39, 1994 WL 124296, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wisner-v-farquhar-nynd-1994.