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110 A.D. 585

Spencer v. State

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York · decided 1906-01-08

Appeal by the defendant, The State of New York,, from a judgment of the Court of Claims of the State of New York in favor of the plaintiff, entered in- the office of the clerk of said court on the 18th day of April, 1905. The claimant, a stonecutter, was on the 2d day of June, 1903, in the employ of Carson Brothers, a firm of stone contractors and dealersfin the city of Rochester.

Relies on Althorf v. . Wolfe

Decided 1906-01-08

Smith, J.:

¶1In Althorf v. Wolfe (22 N. Y. 355) the head note in part reads : “ One who directs his servant to remove snow and ice from the roof of his house is responsible for an injury received by a passengér in the street from such snow and ice, whether the negligence was that of the servant or of a stranger, whom he employed, or who volunteered, to assist him.” We agree that this bridgetendér was not in the performance of his regular duties at the time that he performed the negligent act which caused the injury. No liability, therefore, can be imposed upon the State by reason of that relationship. The foreman of the repair gang, however, in the employ of the State, was required to exercise due care that in the making of those repairs no damage should be caused. If one of his servants in removing the plank had thrown it upon the claimant the State would, confessedly^ have been liable. Under the authority cited, if a stranger had been asked to assist in removing the plank, and through his negligent act the injury had been caused, the State would have been liable. The act of the bridgetender, though for his own purposes, was in. aid of the work which the foreman was there to direct. His act was with the acquiescence of the foreman whose duty it was to see that those planks were removed with reasonable care. In our judgment his work should have been directed by the foreman with equal care as the work of those servants who were employed to work under him, and that for his negligence, while he was thus removing the plank with the acquiescence of the foreman in the employ of the State, the State is itself liable.

¶2The judgment should, therefore, be affirmed, with costs.

¶3All concurred, except Parker, P. J.; and Chester, J., dissenting.

¶4Judgment affirmed, with costs.

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