Rodriguez v. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Plaintiff Alicia Rodriguez appealed the denial of summary judgment in her slip and fall case against Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. Rodriguez alleged she was injured due to an accumulation of wax on the tile floor in a hallway within the church premises. The defendant, an out-of-possession landlord, had leased a portion of the building to plaintiff's employer, Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY), which was contractually responsible for maintaining and cleaning the premises. The Appellate Division found that Trinity established prima facie evidence of its landlord status and lack of responsibility for the condition, and that the accident was not caused by a structural defect. Ultimately, the court reversed the lower court's order, granted summary judgment to the defendant, and dismissed the complaint, concluding that the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact regarding the defendant's control over the accident site.