Opinion ID: 2058897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Brown v Dunlap

Text: On June 25, 1999, plaintiff, then 17 years of age, was a rear seat passenger in a vehicle owned by defendant Athena Dunlap and operated by defendant Louis Saunders (collectively Saunders) when it was struck from behind by a vehicle owned by defendant Trucklease Corporation and operated by defendant Gilberto Schasiepen (collectively Schasiepen). An ambulance transported plaintiff to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, where he complained of neck and back pain. After x-rays revealed no fracture, plaintiff was given pain medication and released. A week later, referred by his counsel, plaintiff sought treatment from Dr. Samuel Melamed who, in August 1999, sent him to Ultra Diagnostics Imaging for an MRI of the lumbosacral spine. At that time, radiologist Mark Freilich reported: Bulging is seen of discs L3-L5. There is herniation of disc L5-S1 towards the right and centrally indenting the thecal sac. Desiccative changes are noted of herniated disc L5-S1 as well. In September 1999, neurologist Daniel Feuer diagnosed plaintiff with a lumbosacral herniated disc and lumbosacral radiculitis. He recommended that plaintiff continue a course of physical therapy supplemented by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. Additionally, Dr. Melamed, relying on Dr. Freilich's earlier MRI report, noted spasms and tenderness and opined that, as a result of the accident, plaintiff sustained an acute cervical sprain and a lumbosacral sprain, and explained that plaintiff's continued pain and limitation of movement over the spine was a permanent injury. In March 2000, plaintiff commenced this action alleging that he had sustained serious injury within the meaning of Insurance Law § 5102 (d). Following joinder of issue, defendant Schasiepen moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint on the ground that plaintiff did not suffer a serious injury, and submitted the sworn reports of radiologist Jessica Berkowitz, orthopedist Norman Heyman and neurosurgeon Donald Frank. Defendant Saunders thereafter joined in the motion, adopting Schasiepen's arguments and submissions, and adding the reports of orthopedic surgeon Howard Baruch and neurologist Robert April. According to defendants' medical evidence, any limitations plaintiff suffered as a result of the accident were minor at best. However, those injuries that existed, according to Dr. Frank and Dr. Baruch, were causally related to the car accident. Only defendants' radiologist, Dr. Berkowitz, notedwithout morethat the [d]isc desiccation and minimal diffuse disc bulge were chronic and degenerative in origin. In opposition, plaintiff submitted the affirmation of his treating physician, Dr. Melamed, opining that plaintiff suffered from a herniated disc, confirmed by MRI testing, at L5-S1 towards the right centrally indenting the thecal sac; bulging discs, also confirmed by MRI, at levels L3-L5; and acute cervical sprain. He added that his April 22, 2002 examination revealed numerical deficiencies in plaintiff's extension and flexion of the cervical and lumbar spine, and he opined, with a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that plaintiff's inability to move his spine (lower back and neck) to the full range of what is normal [constituted a] . . . definite severe and permanent injury that was causally related to the accident. Finally, Dr. Melamed explained that [w]hen it became clear, after extensive therapy in my office, that further treatment and visits would be only palliative in nature, upon discharge from this office, I instructed [plaintiff] as to strengthening and stabilizing home exercises, which consisted of back and neck stretches and strengthening techniques. Plaintiff's own affidavit noted that he continues to suffer excruciating pain in his neck and lower back when he stands for more than 15 minutes, and can no longer lift heavy objects; experiences numbness in his legs when he remains too long in the same position; and cannot continue his prior sports activities. Based on these submissions, Supreme Court granted defendants' motions dismissing the complaint, holding that plaintiff failed to explain a 2½ year gap in treatment and also fatally relied on unsworn MRI reports. The Appellate Division affirmed, holding that plaintiff failed to both furnish an adequate explanation of the gap in treatment and address the suggested chronic disc condition. Two Justices dissented, bringing the appeal before us as a matter of right. We now reverse and reinstate the complaint. Defendants' submissions, indicating that plaintiff suffered only minor limitations as a result of the automobile accident, were sufficient to meet their initial burden. Plaintiff's submissions in opposition, however, raise material issues of fact as to whether he sustained a permanent consequential limitation of use of a body organ or member or a significant limitation of use of a body function or system. On plaintiff's behalf, Dr. Melamed identified measurements of loss of range of motion in plaintiff's cervical and lumbar spine, and on that predicate opined that plaintiff suffered severe and permanent injuries as a result of the accident. Dr. Melamed concluded that plaintiff's continuing condition accounts for [his] extreme pain, stiffness and inability to move his . . . spine[] to the degree of range of motion characteristic of a normal twenty year-old ( see Toure, 98 NY2d at 350-351, 353; Melino v Lauster, 195 AD2d 653, 655 [3d Dept 1993], affd 82 NY2d 828 [1993]). Moreover, Dr. Melamed, in his own sworn statement, noted that the MRI of plaintiff's spinetaken by Dr. Freilich approximately two months after the accident, and made part of the recordrevealed one herniated and three bulging discs ( cf. Toure [Nitti v Clerrico], 98 NY2d at 357-358). [5] Neither of the dispositive grounds in Pommells applies here. First, as to the so-called gap in treatmentthe 2½ years when plaintiff's injuries received no outside attentionDr. Melamed explained that, once he determined further medical therapy would be only palliative in nature, he terminated treatment and instructed plaintiff to continue exercises at home. A plaintiff need not incur the additional expense of consultation, treatment or therapy, merely to establish the seriousness or causal relation of his injury. Unlike Pommells, plaintiff's cessation of treatment was explained sufficiently to raise an issue of fact and survive summary judgment. Second, as to an alleged preexisting condition, there is only Dr. Berkowitz's conclusory notation, itself insufficient to establish that plaintiff's pain might be chronic and unrelated to the accident. As opposed to the undisputed proof of plaintiff's contemporaneous, causally relevant kidney condition in Pommells, here even two of defendants' other doctors acknowledged that plaintiff's (relatively minor) injuries were caused by the car accident. On this record, plaintiff was not obliged to do more to overcome defendants' summary judgment motions ( contrast Shinn, 1 AD3d 195 [2003]; Lorthe v Adeyeye, 306 AD2d 252 [2d Dept 2003]), and we therefore reverse the Appellate Division's order and reinstate the complaint.