In Walton v. Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Co., 88 N.Y.2d 211 (1996), the court reasoned that "the vehicle must be the proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury before the absolute liability imposed by the statute arises." (Id.) The court further stated that the "common thread in these decisions is that no-fault liability will not attach when the injury is caused by something other than a motor vehicle ..." (Id. at 216.)