Case Information
*1 Mann v DeLaCruz
2025 NY Slip Op 31789(U) May 15, 2025
Supreme Court, Kings County Docket Number: Index No. 529920/2022 Judge: Anne J. Swern
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.
This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.
*2 AtanTAS Trial Tertn, Part 75 ofthe Supreme Court of the.State of New York, Kings County, at the Courthouse located at 360 Adams Street; Brooklyn, New York on the th day of May 2025. PRE S ENT: HON. ANNE J. SWERN, J.S.C.
AMANMANN,
DECISION & ORDER
Index No;: 529920/2022 Plaintif[(s);
Calendar No.: 28 --agai1'1st-
Motion Seq.: 005 CHRISTOPHER DELACRUZ,5 BORO GREEN SERVICES,
LLC, ALAN GOLDMAN, SALEM TRUCK LEASING, INC.
and SALEM TRUCKING CO., INC.,
Defendant(s).
Recitation of thefollowingpapers as required by CPLR 2219(a).•
Papers Numbered Notice ofMotfon, Affinnatiort,
Affidavits•and Exhibits(NYSCEF 103-105)., .... , ........... , ................................. l, 2 Affirmation and Exhibits in Opposition (NYSCEF 107-114) . , ............ , ............... 3 Reply Affirmation and Exhibits{NYSCEF 115-ll 8) ., ........... ;, ........................... .4 Upon the foregoing papers and after drat argument, the decision and order of the Court is asfollows:
This is an action for personal injuries arising out of an automobile accident on I 0/2/2021 ori North Broadway, at or near its intersection with North Marginal Road, Jericho, New York.
Plaintiff filed the note of issue on 12/10/24. Defendants, DeLaCruz, 5 Boro Green Service:s and Goldman (collectively "5 Boro"), filed a motion to.strike the note of issue on 12/1.3/24 and extend their Jiin:¢ to file a rilotiort for summary judgment returnable in the Central [Dis9overy] Compliance Part;, The branch of the motion seeking to strike the note of issue was denied as plaintiff provided the outstanding discovery. The branch of the motion seeking to
.52992()/2022 Page, 1 of .f *3 e x t e nd · d e f e nd a n t s • ti m e t o m ov e f o r s u mm a r y jti dg m e n t und e r B r ill v C it y o f N e w · 10 , k , 2 NY 3d .
. 648 [ 2004 ] w a s < ;l e n i e d : - w it b l ea v e t o r e r i e w b e f o r e t h e I A S J udg e . ( NY S C E F 101 }
· T h e S a l e m T r u c k d e f e nd a n t s f il e d a m o ti on f o r s u r iti n ac y J udg m e n t oh t h e i ss u e o f '' s e r i ou s - m ji rr y " und e r A r ti c l e S l o f t h e I n s u r a n ce L a w on 1 / 31125 . ( M S #4 ) .. 05 B u r o f 1 . l s o f il e d a m o ti on f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t on t h i s i ss u e o n2 / 2 l/ 2 5 ( M $#5 ) . . H o w e v e r , t h e no ti ce o f m o ti on d i d no t i n c lti d e .· a r e qu e s t t o e x t e nd . t h e i r ti m e t o m ov e f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t . O n . 3 / 3 t , 2 . 5 , _ p l a i n ti ff e - til e d a . s ti pu l a ti on s i gn e d by a ll p a r ti e s d i s c on ti nu i ng tlii s . - ac ti on : a s a g a i n s t t h e S a l e m T r u c k d e f e nd a n t s on , y . · T h e s ti pu l ~ ti on a . l S c . > w it hd r e w · s a .I e m ' s m o ti on f o r S t U i un a t y j udg m e n t , ( s ee NY S C E F 100 ) . T h e s ti pu l a ti on d i d no t d i s c o r tti nu ea ll d e f e nd a n t s ' c r o ss - c l a i m s .
I n oppo s iti on t o 5 B o r o ' s m o ti on , .. p l a i n ti ff a r gu e s t h a t t h e m o ti on i " s - u r iti 111 e l y · b eca u s e . it w a s f il e d B e l a y s b e yond t h e 60 ~ . d a y d ea d li n e t o d . o : s o . N o w t h a t S a l e m ' ~ m o ti onh a s - _b ee n w it hd r a w n , no p r e v i ou s l y [ ti m e i y ] f il e d m o ti on i s p e nd i ng b e f o r e t h i s C ou r t . · M o r e ov e r , s i n ce 5 B o r a r e ii e d on t h e e xh i b it s a nn e x e d t o - S a l e n i; s w it hd r a w n m o ti on , t h e r e . i S -I J . O e v i d e n ce i n - · t h e r ec o r d t o · · s uppo r t: 5 B o r a ' s m o ti on . A cc o r d i ng l y ~ - 5 - B o r a . ca nno t m ee t t h e i r - p r f m a f a c i e . bu r d e n f o r ! l .I 1 a w a r d o f s u mm a r y j udg m e n t H o w e v e r , i f t h e C ou r t c on s i d e r s t h i s un ti m e l y m o ti on , p l a i n ti ff h a s e s t a b li s h e d i n oppo s iti on t o t h e m o ti on . t h a t s h e h a s s u s t a i n e d - a . s e r i ou s · i n j u r y a s · d e f i n e d . by t h e l n s u : r a n ce L a w .
T . ll e C ou r t m a y c on s i d e r a c t o s s ~ t r i o ti on f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t s e r v e d a f t e r t h e ti m e _ f i x e d b y t h e C ou r t w h e n a . t i m e l y m o t i o n f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t w a s · m a d e _ . - on n ea r l y i d e n ti ca l g r ou n4 s ( s e . e W h it e h e ad v . C i t y 9 / N e w Y o r k 79 A . b . 3d 858 , 8 6 . 0 . [ 2d D e _ p t 2 0 1 0 ] ) ; U nd e r s u c h c i r c u m s t a n ce s , " t h e n ea r l y i d e n t i c a l n a t u r e o f t h e _g r o un d s m a y p r ov i d e t h e r e q u i s i t e g oo d c a u s e i o r e v i e w J h e . m e r it s · · o f t h e u n t i m e l y c r 9 s s n i o ti o1 1 " ( s ee . W e r n i ck f v . K n i pp e r , · 1 19 . AD 3d 775 , 77 7 [ 2d D e p t . : 2014 ] , c i t i ng C P L R 3212 [ a ]) . T h e C ou r t 111 a y a l s o ( l e t e nn i n e . a c r o ss ,... m o ti on f o r
5 ) 99 10 / 202 2 P ag e 2o f *4 s u mm a r y j udg m e n t e v e n t hough t h e o r i g i n a l m o ti on i s w it hd r a w n ( s ee g e n e r a ll y , N a ti ona l E n t e r p r i s e s I n c . v C e r til m an , 234 AD 2d 527 [ 2d D e p t . 1996 ]) . T h e ca s e l a w c it e d by p l a i n ti ff f o ll o w i ng t h e C ou r t o f A pp ea Js ; d ec i s i on i n B r ill do e s no t s t a nd f o r t h e p r opo s iti on t h a ti f a ti m e l y m o ti o r t f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e r tti s w it hd r a w n , t h e un ti m e l y c r o ss - J ll o ti on i s m oo t H e r e , d e f e nd a n t d i d no t s e r v e a c r o ss - m o ti on bu tt a t h e r a n i nd e p e nd e n t m o ti on c iti ng t o e v i d e n ce do c k e t e d i n NY S C E F i n c on m : c ti on w it h a ti m e l y m o ti on f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t
H e r e , t h e d e f e nd a n t s h a v e m e t t h e i r p r i m a f a c i e bu r d e n o f s ho w i ng t h a t p l a i n ti ff d i d r t o t s u s t a i r t a s e r i ou s i n j u r y a s d e f i n e d by I n s u r a n ce L a w § 5102 [ d ] t h r o_ugh · t h e a ff i r m e d r e po r t o f J e ffr e y P a ss i c k , M . D . ( G on z a l e z v C ohn , 224 D 3d 667 , 667 - 668 [ 2d D e p t . 2024 ]) . T h e r e po r t . . d e m on s t r a t e d t h a t p l a i n ti ff ' s h . unb a r a nd l e f t kn ee i n j u r i e s w e r e r e s o l v e d , a nd p l a i n ti ff r ec ov e r e d
fr o m a r i gh t kn ee a r t h t o s c opy w it hou t a ny li m it a ti on s . · T h e r e f o r e , p l a i n ti ff d i d no t s u s t a i n e it h e r a p e nn . a n e n t c on s e qu e n ti a l li m it a ti on · o f u s e o r s i gn i f i ca n t li m it a ti on s o f u s e o f t h e . a ff ec t e d body p a r t s ( i d , ) .. I n oppo s iti on t o t h e m o ti on , p l a i n ti ff s ub m itt e d a s w o r n m e d i ca l r e po r t t h a t p r e d a t e d d e f e nd a n t s ' r e po r t by s e v e n ( 7 ) m on t h s . T h e r e f o r e , p l a i n ti ff f a il e d t o r a i s e a t r i a b l e i ss u e o f f ac t t o r e bu t t h e ob j ec ti v e f i nd i ng s by d e f e nd a n t s ' do c t o r ( i d . ) . T h e r e f o r e , d e f e nd a n t s ' m o ti on f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t i s g r a n t e d .
5 B o r o ' s m o ti on f p r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t r e g a r d i ng S a l e m ' s c r o ss : .. c l a i m s i s a l s o g r a n t e d . B e f o r e t h i s ac ti on w a s d i s c on ti nu e d . a g a i n s t t h e S a l e m d e f e n d a n t s ; t h e y d i d no t o pp o s e 5 B o r o ' s . .
m o ti on f o r s u mm a r y j udg m e n t .
T h e C ou r t h a s · c on s i d e r e d t h e p l a i n ti ff ' s r e m a i n i ng a r gu m e n t s a nd f i nd s t h e m t o b e · w it hou t m e r it .
5 29 92 0 / 1 02 1 · P ag e o f 4 ·· · · -- ·· · · · ·· · · · ·· · · ·· - - · · · · ·· - · - · · - · ---- ··· · · · - ·· · · · · - - · · · -- - - ~ --- - - - - - - - - ----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *5 Accor(lingly, it is hereby
ORDEREDthat the motion for summary judgment by defendants DeLaCniz;.5 Boro Green Services and Goldman is granted and this action, together with all cross:-claims, is dismissed.
This constitutes the decision and Order of the Court.
ENT Hon. An J. Swem, J~S.C. Dated:.· /15/2025 For Clerks useorily:
MG __ _
MD_~
Motion seq.# ___ _
529920/2021 Prtge4 of4 ------··-····-··"-"'"'···-·---------------------------·---·····-·-···-·-·---······-······-···· ...... .