PETERSEN v. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (2019)

Order, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Julia I. Rodriguez, J.), entered on or about June 6, 2017, which denied defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

Defendant failed to establish entitlement to judgment as a matter of law in this action where plaintiff was injured when she slipped and fell on ice on a sidewalk on defendant's campus.  Plaintiff and a security officer employed by defendant both testified that there were icy patches on the sidewalk where plaintiff slipped, and there was conflicting testimony as to whether the area was salted prior to plaintiff's fall.  Defendant's janitorial supervisor testified as to what measures were taken after a snowfall, but could not recall whether he inspected the spot where plaintiff fell on the day of the accident, and thus, had no personal knowledge as to its condition prior to plaintiff's accident.  Testimony relating to a general cleaning routine is insufficient to demonstrate that the routine was followed on the day of the accident (see Perez v. New York City Hous. Auth., 114 A.D.3d 586, 981 N.Y.S.2d 59 [1st Dept. 2014];  De La Cruz v. Lettera Sign & Elec. Co., 77 A.D.3d 566, 909 N.Y.S.2d 448 [1st Dept. 2010] ).  Defendant's assertion that snow removal operations were performed by it, and the failure to remove all snow and ice from a sidewalk is not negligence, is unavailing.  Plaintiff testified that the area where she fell was not salted, and thus, there is a triable issue concerning whether defendant's snow removal methods were adequate.