Opinion ID: 562625
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Absence of a Duty on the Part of the Government to Fazi

Text: 37 Even if Fazi's suit were not barred by the discretionary function exception, we would uphold the dismissal on the basis that in the circumstances, under New York law, see 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1346(b) (government's liability governed by the law of the place where the act or omission occurred), the government owed Fazi no duty to protect him against the criminal acts of highwaymen. Under New York law, tort liability can be established only where the defendant owed a duty of reasonable care to the plaintiff. See, e.g., Eiseman v. State of New York, 70 N.Y.2d 175, 187, 518 N.Y.S.2d 608, 613, 511 N.E.2d 1128, 1133 (1987). Absent a special relationship, such as landlord-tenant, carrier-passenger, innkeeper-guest, or employer-employee, a person or entity generally has no duty to protect another from the actions of a third person. See, e.g., Lopes v. Rostad, 45 N.Y.2d 617, 622-25, 412 N.Y.S.2d 127, 128-30, 384 N.E.2d 673, 674-676 (1978) (county had no duty to protect employee of independent contractor from injury caused by third person); see also Purdy v. Public Administrator of County of Westchester, 72 N.Y.2d 1, 8, 530 N.Y.S.2d 513, 516, 526 N.E.2d 4, 7 (1988) (where health facility had no authority to control actions of residents, it was not liable for injuries caused to plaintiff by elderly resident though health facility was aware that resident's condition could cause blackouts); Eiseman v. State of New York, 70 N.Y.2d at 189-92, 518 N.Y.S.2d at 615-16, 511 N.E.2d at 1135-36 (state university had no duty to protect member of college community from rape and murder by former convict admitted into university's rehabilitation program). 38 In the present case, though there was a contractual relationship between USPS and Fazi's employer, USPS did not undertake in that contract to protect the carrier or its employees. Rather, the only undertaking of this type was that of Fazi Inc. to protect the mail. 39 Nor do the USPS regulations provide a basis for imposing a duty on the government to protect Fazi. As discussed above, the facts that the agency did not require a declaration of the face value of the blank traveler's checks and did not provide an escort for the April 19, 1984 trip did not breach USPS regulations. Further, even if USPS's conduct had been contrary to the regulations, Fazi would have no viable claim since the procedures required by the regulations were not intended for his benefit but were explicitly designed to protect the mail itself. See, e.g., Manual Sec. 911.11 (registered mail system is designed to provide added protection for valuable and important mail). None of the regulations suggest that any of the prescribed procedures were designed to protect the private contractors who transport the mail. Accordingly, violation of these rules would not have provided a basis for liability under New York law. See, e.g., Lopes v. Rostad, 45 N.Y.2d at 623, 412 N.Y.S.2d at 129, 384 N.E.2d at 675 (Only if the person seeking redress comes within the protective orbit of the statute, will his claim based upon a breach of a statutory duty be upheld.). 40 In the circumstances, USPS had no duty to protect Fazi, an employee of an independent contractor, from injuries incurred on a public road while he was carrying United States mail. In light of this conclusion, we need not reach the question of whether the injury to Fazi was foreseeable.