SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY 

 APPELLATE DIVISION 

 DOCKET NO. A-0485-22 

NORTH JERSEY HIP AND 

KNEE CENTER, 

 Plaintiff-Appellant, 

v.

JANET QUEVEDO and 

AMY L. PETERSON, 

 Defendants/Third-Party 

Plaintiffs-Respondents, 

v.

AIMAN RIFAI, D.O., 

 Third-Party DefendantRespondent. 

_________________________

Submitted January 17, 2024 – Decided February 5, 2024 

Before Judges Sumners and Perez Friscia. 

On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law 

Division, Passaic County, Docket No. L-1905-21.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE 

APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION 

This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the 

internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
2 A-0485-22

Michael S. Harrison, attorney for appellant (Stacy B. 

Fronapfel, on the briefs). 

Margolis Edelstein, attorneys for respondent Amy L.

Peterson (Kyle L. Wu, of counsel and on the brief).

PER CURIAM 

 

 Plaintiff North Jersey Hip and Knee Center, P.C. appeals from a July 18, 

2022 order denying its motion to reinstate its complaint that had been dismissed 

with prejudice for failure to comply with a court order pursuant to Rule 4:23-

2(b), and a September 16, 2022 order which denied reconsideration. After a 

review of the arguments on appeal, the record, and the applicable law, we 

reverse and remand because a sanction short of dismissal was warranted. 

I.

 We discern the relevant facts and procedural history from the record. This 

matter involved a letter of protection dispute arising from $183,107.30 in 

medical bills allegedly owed for services plaintiff rendered to Janet Quevedo 

after an automobile accident. Plaintiff alleges it received a letter of protection 

from defendant Amy Peterson, Esq., who was Quevedo's personal injury 

attorney. 

 Plaintiff treated Quevedo for her injuries from October 2016 to November 

2018. In February 2017, defendant advised plaintiff's physician, Aiman Rifai, 
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D.O., by letter that she legally represented Quevedo in a personal injury action. 

The letter acknowledged plaintiff's treatment, noted Quevedo did not have 

"personal auto insurance," and advised that any medical "itemized bills" were to 

be submitted to the provided insurance company "directly for fee scheduling." 

The letter further asserted defendant "w[ould] protect [plaintiff's] customary and 

reasonable fees to the extent . . . available from third party recovery when the 

case [wa]s concluded provided [plaintiff] timely forwarded to [defendant's] 

office a copy" of the bills submitted. 

 On June 10, 2021, plaintiff filed a five-count complaint against Quevedo 

and defendant seeking damages for the billed medical services, attorney's fees, 

interest, and costs. On July 15, defendant filed an answer, counterclaim, and 

third-party complaint against Dr. Rifai. Plaintiff filed an answer to the 

counterclaim and Dr. Rifai answered the third-party complaint. On August 30, 

defendant filed an amended answer. 

On October 6, defendant served plaintiff, "via email only," with a request 

for answers to interrogatories, a notice to produce, and a request for admissions. 

Defendant also moved to change tracks and to extend the discovery end date. 

On October 22, the motion judge granted the request, transferred the matter from 

Track I to Track II, and ordered a March 24, 2022 discovery end date. The judge 
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thereby shortened the discovery period and the delineated discovery dates 

requested, requiring written discovery be provided "no later than" November 30, 

and depositions to "take place no later than" December 30. The judge also 

commented, "Nothing[]has been done to date . . . It is really not that 

complicated." 

Having not received the requested written discovery, on January 18, 2022, 

defendant served via email a good faith deficiency letter in compliance with 

Rule 1:6-2(c). Two days later, defendant served plaintiff via email and regular 

mail with a deposition notice of Dr. Rifai, scheduled for February 17. On 

February 16, one day before the noticed deposition, plaintiff informed defendant 

via email that Dr. Rifai was unavailable. 

On March 2, defendant moved to dismiss the complaint without prejudice 

pursuant to Rule 4:23-5(a)(1) and with prejudice pursuant to Rules 4:23-4 and 

4:23-2(b)(3), which plaintiff opposed. A new motion judge granted the motion 

to dismiss the complaint without prejudice under Rule 4:23-5(a)(1) for failure 

to provide discovery, denied dismissal with prejudice, and compelled Dr. Rifai 

"to appear for deposition within [thirty] days of the date of [the] order" or else 

"face sanctions as permitted by the rules of the court up to and including 
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dismissal with prejudice." The complaint was apparently dismissed as well

against Quevedo, who was in default for failing to file an answer. 

On April 13, defendant served plaintiff via email and regular mail with a 

notice of deposition for April 21. On April 20, one day before the noticed 

deposition, plaintiff informed defendant that Dr. Rifai was unavailable. On May 

22, defendant moved to dismiss the complaint with prejudice under Rule 4:23-

4, failure to appear for a deposition, and Rule 4:23-3, failure to comply with a 

court order, which plaintiff did not oppose. Before the motion's May 25 return 

date, plaintiff served answers to the written discovery requests. 

On May 27, the judge granted the motion to dismiss with prejudice. Citing 

Rule 4:23-2(b)(3), the judge found plaintiff "elected to willfully ignore [the] 

court's directive" and therefore dismissal with prejudice was appropriate. 1 On 

July 18, the judge denied plaintiff's motion to vacate dismissal and reinstate the 

complaint. Thereafter, plaintiff moved for reconsideration. 

On September 16, the judge issued an oral decision and entered an order 

denying reconsideration. The judge found defendant "failed to respond to 

1

 We recognize that while a motion to dismiss with prejudice under Rule 4:23-

5(a)(2) would have been premature as the requisite sixty days since the order 

dismissing the complaint without prejudice had not passed, defendant separately 

moved to dismiss with prejudice under Rule 4:23-2(b)(3). 
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communications concerning discovery and court orders" and, in the present 

motion, failed to "provide[] any reasons as to why it did not respond to discovery 

communications." Default judgment was entered against Quevedo on January 

13, 2023. 

Before us, plaintiff argues the judge abused her discretion by failing to 

consider alternative sanctions and imposing the ultimate sanction of a dismissal

with prejudice; and imposing an unjust and unreasonable sanction. 

II. 

"[T]he standard of review for dismissal of a complaint with prejudice for 

discovery misconduct is whether the trial court abused its discretion." Abtrax 

Pharms., Inc. v. Elkins-Sinn, Inc., 139 N.J. 499, 517 (1995). Moreover, a trial 

court's decision on a discovery matter is "entitled to substantial deference and 

will not be overturned absent an abuse of discretion." DiFiore v. Pezic, 254 N.J. 

212, 228 (2023) (quoting State v. Stein, 225 N.J. 582, 593 (2016)). 

In addressing the appropriate penalty for failing to abide by an order, "the 

court must . . . carefully weigh what sanction is the appropriate one, choosing 

the approach that imposes a sanction consistent with fundamental fairness to 

both parties." Williams v. Am. Auto Logistics, 226 N.J. 117, 125 (2016) 

(alteration in original) (quoting Robertet Flavors, Inc. v. Tri-Form Constr., Inc., 
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203 N.J. 252, 282-83 (2010)). In its selection of a sanction, a court must 

consider "[t]he varying levels of culpability of delinquent parties." Georgis v. 

Scarpa, 226 N.J. Super. 244, 251 (App. Div. 1988). "The extent to which [one 

party] has impaired [the other's] case may guide the court in determining 

whether less severe sanctions will suffice." Williams, 226 N.J. at 125 

(alterations in original) (quoting Gonzalez v. Safe & Sound Sec. Corp., 185 N.J. 

100, 116 (2005)). When determining whether dismissal is appropriate, courts 

"should assess the facts, including the willfulness of the violation, the ability of 

plaintiff to produce the [evidence], the proximity of trial, and prejudice to the 

adversary, and apply the appropriate remedy." Casinelli v. Manglapus, 181 N.J. 

354, 365 (2004). 

The "ultimate sanction of dismissal" is to be used "only sparingly." 

Abtrax Pharms., 139 N.J. at 514 (quoting Zaccardi v. Becker, 88 N.J. 245, 253 

(1982)). "If a lesser sanction than dismissal suffices to erase the prejudice to 

the non-delinquent party, dismissal of the complaint is not appropriate and 

constitutes an abuse of discretion." Georgis, 226 N.J. Super. at 251. "The 

dismissal of a party's cause of action, with prejudice, is drastic and is generally 

not to be invoked except in those cases in which the order for discovery goes to 

the very foundation of the cause of action, or where the refusal to comply is 
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deliberate and contumacious." Abtrax Pharms., 139 N.J. at 514 (quoting Lang 

v. Morgan's Home Equip. Corp., 6 N.J. 333, 339 (1951)). "It is well-settled that 

the sanction of dismissal with prejudice for a procedural violation must be a 

recourse of last resort." Conrad v. Michelle & John, Inc., 394 N.J. Super. 1, 11

(App. Div. 2007) (citing Tucci v. Tropicana Casino & Resort, Inc., 364 N.J. 

Super. 48, 52 (App. Div. 2003)). 

The failure to comply with an order to produce discovery pursuant to Rule 

4:23-2(b) allows for dismissal "with or without prejudice": 

If a party . . . fails to obey an order to provide or permit 

discovery, including an order made under R. 4:23-1, the 

court in which the action is pending may make such 

orders in regard to the failure as are just, and among 

others the following: 

(1) An order that the matters regarding which the order 

was made or any other designated facts shall be taken 

to be established for the purposes of the action in

accordance with the claim of the party obtaining the 

order; 

(2) An order refusing to allow the disobedient party to 

support or oppose designated claims or defenses, or

prohibiting the introduction of designated matters in 

evidence; 

(3) An order striking out pleadings or parts thereof, or 

staying further proceedings until the order is obeyed, or 

dismissing the action or proceeding or any part thereof 

with or without prejudice, or rendering a judgment by 

default against the disobedient party; 
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(4) In lieu of any of the foregoing orders or in addition 

thereto, an order treating as a contempt of court the 

failure to obey any orders. 

In lieu of the foregoing orders or in addition thereto, the 

court shall require the party failing to obey the order to 

pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, 

caused by the failure, unless the court finds that the 

failure was substantially justified or that the other 

circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. 

[R. 4:23-2(b).] 

III. 

It bears noting from the inception that we do not condone the dilatory pace 

at which plaintiff prosecuted its action and or its failure to respond to discovery 

demands. As plaintiff readily acknowledged, "its failures in timely providing 

discovery should[ not] have gone unsanctioned." Nevertheless, we concur with 

plaintiff's argument that the judge erroneously dismissed its complaint with 

prejudice, under Rule 4:23-2(b)(3), for failing to comply with the judge's March 

23, 2022 order when lesser sanctions were available. 

As the judge correctly recited in her brief written statement of reasons 

accompanying the May 27 order, the motion to dismiss was unopposed and 

plaintiff's representative had canceled the noticed deposition. However, the 

judge failed to address at any point that plaintiff had served an untimely April 
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13, 2022 deposition notice on defendant. The notice was served only eight days 

before the scheduled deposition date of April 21—despite the requirement that 

"not less than [ten]-days['] notice" be provided pursuant to Rule 4:14-2(a).2 

Notably, April 21 was the last day to complete the deposition in accordance with 

the judge's March 23 order. The judge's March 23 order did not schedule a 

specific deposition date or permit a "shorten[ed] . . . time for taking the 

deposition." R. 4:14-2(b). Thus, by the date defendant served the deposition 

notice, there was insufficient time to provide notice under the Rule and to 

comply with the judge's order. In her oral reconsideration decision, the judge 

stated plaintiff had "proper and effective notice from defendant['s] . . . counsel 

in that regard" without further explanation.3 There is no support for that 

statement in the record. Therefore, we conclude the failure to reconsider the

2

 As we do not have the motion papers filed below, we cannot discern if

defendant's attorney made a "good faith attempt" to confer with plaintiff's 

attorney to resolve scheduling Dr. Rifai's deposition in accordance with Rule 

1:6-2(c). 

3

 We note it is unclear whether the judge analyzed the motion for 

reconsideration pursuant to Rule 4:42-2, reconsideration of interlocutory orders. 

See Lawson v. Dewar, 468 N.J. Super. 128, 134 (App. Div. 2021) (addressing 

the distinctions between motions for reconsideration under Rule 4:49-2, which 

"applies only to motions to alter or amend final judgments and final orders" and 

"doesn't apply when an interlocutory order is challenged" pursuant to Rule 4:42-

2). 
11 A-0485-22

ultimate sanction of dismissal of plaintiff's complaint with prejudice despite an 

untimely deposition notice served on defendant and the availability of lesser 

sanctions was mistaken use of discretion. See Georgis, 226 N.J. Super. at 251. 

We further observe the judge did not consider that prior to the return date 

of the motion to dismiss with prejudice, plaintiff had served its answers to 

interrogatories and responses to the notice to produce. The judge noted in her 

oral reconsideration decision that "[p]laintiff allege[d] that it did not receive 

[d]efendant's discovery requests until March 2, 2022," and had "served 

[discovery], 'on or about', May 25, 2022" before the return date of the motion to 

dismiss. It appears from the record the judge gave little consideration to 

counsel's representation they did not receive the two emailed discovery requests, 

and that plaintiff had served the written discovery before the dismissal with 

prejudice. These considerations, in addition to the untimely deposition notice, 

weighed in favor of a lesser sanction. 

We also observe that when the original motion judge granted the track 

change, he shortened the 300-day discovery period provided under Rule 4:24-1; 

thus, less time for discovery was afforded. See R. 4:24-1 (providing "all 

proceedings referred to in [R.] 4:10-1 to [R.] 4:23-4 inclusive shall be completed 
12 A-0485-22

within the time frame for each track as hereafter prescribed counting from the 

date the first answer is filed" and prescribing "300 days" for "Track II"). 

For these reasons, the drastic sanction of dismissal was unwarranted. 

There existed lesser alternative sanctions to address plaintiff's failure to 

complete the deposition. See, e.g., R. 4:23-2(b)(4) (permitting the court "require 

the party failing to obey the order to pay the reasonable expenses, including the 

attorney's fees, caused by the failure"). 

We are constrained to reverse the orders which denied plaintiff's motions 

to reinstate the complaint and for reconsideration. We remand for further 

proceedings consistent with this opinion. We express no view regarding the 

lesser sanction that should be imposed. 

Reversed and remanded. We do not retain jurisdiction.