George W. Ring, Respondent v. the City of Cohoes, Appellant

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the lower court's judgment for the plaintiff, holding that the city was not negligent with respect to the fire hydrant and that the heap of ashes was not shown to be the cause of the accident. The court affirmed that a municipal corporation owes only reasonable skill and diligence in maintaining its streets and is not liable for injuries caused by a horse that becomes uncontrollable unless a highway defect is the proximate cause of the injury. The decision also clarified the rule on multiple proximate causes.