After he was hit by a one-ton bale of paper while working at a recycling plant operated by Metro Waste Paper Recovery USA, Inc., John Gronski sued the County of Monroe, the property's owner.
While both the Monroe County Supreme Court, and the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, thought the County wasn't liable for what happened, because control of the site had been given to a private company,our state's highest court was of the view that argument was pure garbage.
Since the County actively supervised the company's operations, and regularly accessed and inspected the premises, the New York State Court of Appeals thought it was premature to let the local government out of the case--particularly since the quesion of who was in control was one for a judge or jury to decide.
Waste not?
To view a copy of the Court of Appeals' decision, please use this link: Gronski v. County of Monroe