Opinion ID: 756439
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Chylinski's Appeal.

Text: 13 We review de novo a district court's post-verdict grant of judgment as a matter of law, and view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Schlaifer Nance & Co. v. Estate of Andy Warhol, 119 F.3d 91, 98 (2d Cir.1997). A court may not set aside a jury's verdict unless the jury could not reasonably have reached that verdict on the evidence presented. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Warde, 151 F.3d 42, 46 (2d Cir.1998) (The test is the same as it would be if the question were whether the case should have been permitted to go to the jury.). On appeal, Chylinski argues several grounds for reversal. We conclude that, because the district court mistakenly defined proximate cause to require foreseeability that the safety devices would fail, the district court erred in holding that Chylinski offered insufficient evidence on her ordinary negligence claim. We therefore do not address or decide her remaining grounds for reversal. 14 The Supreme Court of Connecticut has often stated that the 'test' of proximate cause is whether the defendant's conduct is a 'substantial factor' in producing the plaintiff's injury. Doe v. Manheimer, 212 Conn. 748, 758, 563 A.2d 699, 704 (1989) (citing cases). The Court has also recognized that the question of proximate cause is entwined with the question of foreseeability: 15 The substantial factor test, in truth, reflects the inquiry fundamental to all proximate cause questions; that is, whether the harm which occurred was of the same general nature as the foreseeable risk created by the defendant's negligence. 16 Id. (citations and some internal quotation marks omitted). In order to determine whether a defendant's conduct is the proximate cause of an injury, it is therefore necessary to determine whether the harm caused is within the foreseeable scope of the risk created by the defendant's conduct. Id. at 760-61, 563 A.2d at 705; Stewart v. Federated Dep't Stores, Inc., 234 Conn. 597, 607-613, 662 A.2d 753, 759-62 (1995). 17 We think that the jury could reasonably find that Wal-Mart was negligent in placing a person in the swing path of the automatic door, thereby creating a foreseeable risk that someone would be injured, regardless of whether the safety devices were operating. Even if the Sentrex device had detected Chylinski, and had prevented the door from opening, the next customer might have walked into the door and been injured. See, e.g., Rose v. Port of New York Authority, 61 N.J. 129, 293 A.2d 371 (1972) (jury could infer negligence if plaintiff walked into automatic door that failed to open). And if the Sentrex device had failed, but the reverse on obstruction feature had worked, the door would have struck Chylinski and--one second later--reversed direction to hit the next customer heading through the door. And Chylinski herself, once posted behind the door, was protected only by one or more safety devices that Wal-Mart had failed to test, notwithstanding the manufacturer's advice that daily testing was indicated. A jury could find that the nature of the harm that Chylinski suffered was a foreseeable risk of Wal-Mart's placing Chylinski behind the automatic door. 18 The district court also erred in viewing Wal-Mart's negligence solely in terms of the failed safety devices. Connecticut has adopted the rule set forth in section 442B of the Restatement (Second) of Torts: 19 [W]here the negligent conduct of the actor creates or increases the risk of a particular harm and is a substantial factor in causing that harm, the fact that the harm is brought about through the intervention of another force does not relieve the actor of liability, except where the harm is intentionally caused by a third person and is not within the scope of the risk created by the actor's conduct. 20 Stewart, 234 Conn. at 607-08, 662 A.2d at 759 (quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts § 442B (1965)); see also Doe v. Manheimer, 212 Conn. at 759, 563 A.2d at 704. Placing Chylinski in the swing path of the automatic door created the risk of the harm she suffered, and was a substantial factor in bringing about that harm, notwithstanding that the harm was arguably brought about through the intervention of another force--the malfunction in the automatic door's safety equipment. 21 The cases cited by Wal-Mart to support the district court's ruling (including Stewart ) involve negligence claims against landowners for injuries sustained as a result of harms intentionally caused by third persons. See Doe, 212 Conn. 748, 563 A.2d 699 (1989) (plaintiff sexually assaulted by third party on defendant's property); Stewart, 234 Conn. 597, 662 A.2d 753 (1995) (plaintiff's decedent robbed and murdered by a third party in defendant's parking garage). In both cases, the Supreme Court of Connecticut indicated that the question of proximate cause turned on whether the defendant had actual or constructive notice that the dangerous condition of its premises would induce criminal conduct by third parties. Doe, 212 Conn. at 760-62, 563 A.2d at 705-06; Stewart, 234 Conn. at 610-13, 662 A.2d at 760-62. The categorical ground of distinction here is that the jury could rely on Wal-Mart's own act of negligence (rather than a failure to realize that harm may be inflicted by someone else) and could conclude that Chylinski's injury was therefore within the scope of the risk created by Wal-Mart's placing Chylinski behind the automatic door. 22