Ventricelli v. Kinney System Rent A Car, Inc.
Court of Appeals of New York
383 N.E.2d 1149 (1978)
Relevant factsFree
Ventricelli (plaintiff) leased a car with a defective trunk lid from Kinney (defendant), which had unsuccessfully attempted repairs. While parked in a parking space, Ventricelli was attempting to close the malfunctioning trunk when the driver of the car parked behind him accidentally accelerated forward and collided with him, causing injuries; Ventricelli sued Kinney for negligence, and the jury found Kinney liable, but the appeals court reversed and dismissed in Kinney's favor.
IssueFree
Whether, when imposing liability on a defendant, there is a limit to the length of the causal chain of events between the defendant's negligence and the plaintiff's harm.