Pomahac v. TrizecHahn 1065 Avenue of the Americas, LLC
The plaintiff slipped and fell in a building lobby due to a wet floor and subsequently sued the building manager (TrizecHahn) and maintenance company (ABM) for negligence, alleging a failure to place sufficient mats. Defendants moved for summary judgment, arguing they took reasonable precautions by deploying two mats, a caution sign, and having an employee mop. The Supreme Court initially denied the defendants' motions on reargument. However, the appellate court reversed, granting summary judgment to the defendants, stating their actions constituted reasonable precautions as a matter of law. The court also held that failure to adhere to an internal policy for mat placement does not automatically equate to negligence if that policy's standard exceeds reasonable care. A dissenting opinion argued that a triable issue of fact existed concerning the reasonableness of precautions given recurring hazardous conditions and insufficient mat coverage.