Legal Memorandum: Affirmative Defense in NY

Issue: Under New York law, is the affirmative defense of intervening causation for the jury to decide?

 It is not for the judge to assess the credibility of witnesses, weigh evidence or draw inferences favoring the defendants.  See Krupp v. Aetna  Life & Cas. Co., 103 A.D.2d 252, 261, 479 N.Y.S.2d 99. Where a plaintiff’s conduct may amount to a contributing cause, such conduct does not replace the defendant’s negligence as a substantial and proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. A s "Lucio v. Pisanelfo, 227 A.D.2d 390, 642 N.Y.S.2d 325" c 1 l "Lucio v. Pisanelfo, 227 A.D.2d 390, 642 N.Y.S.2d 325 (2nd Dep’t 1996)"Lucio v. Pisanelfo, 227 A.D.2d 390, 642 N.Y.S.2d 325 (2nd Dep’t 1996).  Instead, it is for the jury to decide how to apportion fault.  See Derdiarian v. Felix Contracting Corp., 51 N.Y.2d 308, 315, 414 N.E.2d 666, 434 N.Y.S.2d 166 (1980)

Although a plaintiff’s own conduct may be a superseding force absolving a negligent defendant from liability, if the plaintiff was contributorily negligent, such negligence is relevant only in apportioning culpable conduct.  See A s "Smith v. Stark, 67 N.Y.2d 693, 694, 499 N.Y.S.2d 922" c 1 l "Smith v. Stark, 67 N.Y.2d 693, 499 N.Y.S.2d 922, 490 N.E.2d 841 (1986)"Smith v. Stark , 67 N.Y.2d 693, 694, 499 N.Y.S.2d 922, 490 N.E.2d 841 (1986); Boltax v. Joy Day Camp, 67 N.Y.2d 617, 620, 499 N.Y.S.2d 660, 490 N.E.2d […]