Case Name: Jonathan B. Wolfe, as Limited Administrator of the Estate of Katherine A. Wolfe, Deceased, Respondent, v. County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant; Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Damon L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v. County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, find James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant; Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Tonya L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v. County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant; Ronald E. Bridenbaker et al., Individually and as Parents and Natural Guardians of John K. Bridenbaker, an Infant, Respondents, v. County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant; Gary L. Brown, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Donna L. Brown, Deceased, Respondent, v. County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant, et al., Defendant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1997-05-30
Citations: 239 A.D.2d 914
Docket Number: 
Parties: Jonathan B. Wolfe, as Limited Administrator of the Estate of Katherine A. Wolfe, Deceased, Respondent, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Damon L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, find James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Tonya L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Ronald E. Bridenbaker et al., Individually and as Parents and Natural Guardians of John K. Bridenbaker, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Gary L. Brown, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Donna L. Brown, Deceased, Respondent, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant, et al., Defendant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 239
Pages: 914–918

Head Matter:
Jonathan B. Wolfe, as Limited Administrator of the Estate of Katherine A. Wolfe, Deceased, Respondent, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Damon L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, find James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Jeanne C. Nichols et al., as Appointed Guardians of Tonya L. Brown, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Ronald E. Bridenbaker et al., Individually and as Parents and Natural Guardians of John K. Bridenbaker, an Infant, Respondents, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant. Gary L. Brown, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Donna L. Brown, Deceased, Respondent, v County of Cattaraugus et al., Respondents, and James H. Tingue, Sr., Appellant, et al., Defendant.
[659 NYS2d 634]

Opinion:
Order affirmed with costs. Memorandum: We affirm for reasons stated at Supreme Court (Feeman, Jr., J.). Furthermore, for the dissent to maintain that James H. Tingue, Sr. (defendant), owed no duty to plaintiffs' decedents and plaintiffs' infants is tantamount to a determination that one who creates a dangerous condition is not responsible for the foreseeable consequences of his conduct. That theory was rejected long ago (see, Palsgraf v Long Is. R. R. Co., 248 NY 339, rearg denied 249 NY 511).
"There is no basis on this record for concluding, as a matter of law, that a superseding cause or other factor intervened to break the nexus between defendant's negligence and plaintiff's injury" (Derdiarian v Felix Contr. Corp., 51 NY2d 308, 312, rearg denied 52 NY2d 784). The record establishes that the accident occurred at night on an unlit country road, at a time when the visibility was impaired due to foggy conditions and apparently some traffic control signs were obscured by foliage. Defendant therefore created a dangerous condition when he knocked down the double arrow sign warning motorists that the highway ended and it was necessary to turn left or right. Thus, plaintiffs' decedents and plaintiffs' infants, who were traveling on that road within the hour after the prior accident, were within the zone of foreseeable harm so as to give rise to a reasonable duty of care (see, Di Ponzio v Riordan, 89 NY2d 578). Under the factual circumstances herein, defendant's negligence may have been a proximate cause of the injuries. Resolution of that issue is for the jury.
All concur except Lawton and Doerr, JJ., who dissent and vote to reverse in the following Memorandum.