| Gordzica v New York City Tr. Auth. |
| 2013 NY Slip Op 01335 [103 AD3d 598] |
| February 28, 2013 |
| Appellate Division, First Department |
| Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. |
| Francia Gordzica, Respondent, v New York City Transit Authority, Appellant. |
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Lisa M. Comeau, Garden City, for respondent.
Judgment, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Mary Ann Brigantti-Hughes, J.), entered July 18, 2011, upon a jury verdict, awarding plaintiff the principal amount of $1,040,000, unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, the judgment vacated, and the matter remanded for a new trial.
The court erred in admitting the alleged statement made by defendant's ticket booth clerk to plaintiff that she had reported the defective condition six times prior to plaintiff's trip and fall. The evidence does not show that the statement was made within the clerk's authority as a speaking agent on behalf of defendant (see Tyrrell v Wal-Mart Stores, 97 NY2d 650 [2001]; Loschiavo v Port Auth. of N.Y. & N.J., 58 NY2d 1040 [1983]). The error in admitting the statement was not harmless under the circumstances presented. Concur—Tom, J.P., Sweeny, Renwick, Abdus-Salaam and Manzanet-Daniels, JJ.