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5 Misc. 2d 868

Watson v. State

New York Court of Claims

Decided May 18, 1957

New York Court of Claims · decided 1957-05-18

Relies on United States v. Holly · Elmo v. United States · Courtney v. United States

Decided 1957-05-18

Fred A. Young, J.

¶1Claimants were injured on March 29, 1954, in a collision with a truck of the New York National Guard driven by one Stanley Briggs, in Whitehall, New York. Briggs was operating the truck in line of his duty as a civilian employee, under the title of National Guard maintenance employee, and as such was a custodian of the military vehicles of the Whitehall unit. (It is immaterial that Briggs was also a member of the National Guard since he was not on duty as a guardsman at the time.)

¶2The evidence leaves little doubt of Briggs’ negligence but there remains the question of the State’s liability for it.

¶3Section 8-a of the Court of Claims Act waives the State’s immunity from liability with respect to the torts of members of the organized militia and employees in the division of military and naval affairs, with certain limitations. Immunity is expressly not waived in circumstances where under the laws of the United States liability has been or is hereafter assumed by the United States, to the extent of such assumption of liability under the laws of the United States ”.

¶4The United States has assumed liability for the torts of civilian employees of Briggs’ category. (United States v. Holly, 192 F. 2d 221; Elmo v. United States, 197 F. 2d 230; United States v. Duncan, 197 F. 2d 233; Courtney v. United States, 230 F. 2d 112.)

¶5The claims are dismissed in an accompanying decision.

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