New York Court of Appeals
Flanders v. Goodfellow
April 17, 202544 N.Y.3d 57
Summary
The Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment for defendants in a postal worker's action arising from a dog bite. It held that evidence of the dog's aggressive behavior created a triable issue regarding the owners' constructive knowledge for strict liability and overruled prior precedent to recognize ordinary negligence as an alternative theory for injuries caused by domestic animals. The Court denied defendants' motion and allowed the negligence claim to be litigated in the first instance below.