Opinion ID: 776872
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Collateral Source Hearing

Text: 125 Jarvis claims that the district court abused its discretion in granting Ford's motion to reduce the amount of the jury verdict pursuant to N.Y.C.P.L.R. 4545(c) without holding a hearing. We disagree. 126 After the jury returned its verdict, Ford moved pursuant to N.Y.C.P.L.R. 4545(c) to reduce the verdict on the basis of collateral disability payments Jarvis had already received and would continue to receive in the future. 17 Jarvis, in response to this request, simply stated that there is no evidence which would warrant any reduction in the verdict pursuant to C.P.L.R. § 4545(c). 127 At trial, however, Dr. Marcus, Jarvis's expert, testified that the combined value of past and future collateral payments would equal $473,469. Jarvis did not object to Dr. Marcus's testifying as to the amount of past and future collateral source payments. In her deposition testimony, Jarvis had confirmed that she was receiving monthly payments from a private disability policy, and, in answer to Ford's interrogatories, she admitted she was receiving long term disability benefits in addition to her Social Security disability payments. Dr. Donald S. Chambers, her treating psychiatrist, testified in detail concerning the significant impairments that Jarvis suffered as a result of the accident and described his expectation for her improvement as quite low. 128 In view of the facts in the record, we reject Jarvis's contention that there is no evidence to support a reduction in the verdict pursuant to N.Y.C.P.L.R. 4545(c). Concerning the need for further proceedings, we note that on appeal Jarvis has not challenged any particular calculation made by Dr. Marcus nor has she claimed that she has not in the past, or will not continue in the future, to receive the benefits that Dr. Marcus described. Because on appeal Jarvis has not raised a disputed issue of material fact in opposing the reduction of the verdict by collateral source payments, we find that the district court did not abuse its discretion in not holding further proceedings.