Kelly v. Otis
Opinion of the Court
— Order unanimously affirmed without costs. Memorandum: Plaintiff, an Eastern Airlines flight attendant, was injured as she was boarding a van provided by defendant First Republic Corp. of America, doing business as Sheraton Inn-Liverpool, for transporting Eastern flight crews to the Sheraton Inn. The injury occurred when plaintiff, in attempting to enter the rear area of the van, grabbed a metal post separating the front and rear sections of the van. A passenger shut the passenger door on plaintiff’s right hand and wrist.
A private carrier owes a duty to exercise reasonable care for the safety of its passengers (see generally, 5 Blashfield, Automobile Law and Practice § 202.2). That duty does not extend, however, to circumstances that could not be reasonably foreseen by the carrier, such as the act of a fellow passenger in
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.