261 A.D. 969 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1941
Action brought by plaintiff, a customer and invitee of defendants, who were retail dealers in hats, to recover damages for personal injuries sustained by her when she fell at or near two steps in their store, which steps lead to a rear entrance at a lower level than the floor of the store. Negligence of defendants was alleged in that they caused and permitted a dangerous condition to exist at the place of plaintiff’s fall, which constituted a nuisance and trap and a menace to the safety of such of the public as visited the store. Upon a jury trial of the issues a verdict was duly rendered in favor of plaintiff upon which judgment was duly entered. From that judgment defendants appeal. Judgment reversed on the law and facts, with costs, and complaint dismissed on the law, with costs. Hagarty, Carswell, Johnston and Taylor, JJ., concur, with the following memorandum: No negligence on defendants’ part is inferable from the evidence. The locus of the accident to plaintiff did not constitute a nuisance and trap maintained by the defendants. The steps were obvious to any one who cared to look. It was error to refuse to dismiss the complaint. (Hart v. Grennell, 122 N. Y. 371, 374; Weller v. Consolidated Gas Co., 198 id. 98; Powers v. Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., 251 App. Div. 120; affd., 276 N. Y. 600; Stark v. Franklin Simon & Co., Inc., 237 App. Div. 42; Weinstein v. R. H. Macy & Co., 163 Misc. 61; Robinson v. Piskosh, Inc., 259 App. Div. 544.) Further, plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence as matter of law. (Robinson v. Piskosh, supra.) The locus of the accident was concededly well lighted and the steps, as stated, were obvious. The accident happened because of plaintiff’s failure to look where she was going.