Cox v. Don's Welding Service, Inc.
A construction worker, John J. Stachera, died on April 17, 1972, after being struck by a defective metal boom. His estate sued Don's Welding Service, Inc. for negligence, breach of warranty, and wrongful death, alleging the boom was improperly welded. The trial court dismissed the plaintiff's complaint at the close of proof, as well as Don's Welding Service's cross-claim against the third-party defendant, Depew Paving Co., Inc. The appellate court reversed the judgment, concluding that sufficient circumstantial evidence existed, especially given the lower burden of proof in wrongful death actions, to withstand a motion to dismiss under CPLR 4401. Consequently, a new trial was granted for the plaintiff.