Court Opinion

ID: 9916564
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-10 01:10:37.920623+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:40.105678
License: Public Domain

Paulino v Benson
               2020 NY Slip Op 35559(U)
                      June 26, 2020
             Supreme Court, Bronx County
        Docket Number: Index No. 28118/2019E
                  Judge: John R. Higgitt
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                       publication.
  FILED: BRONX COUNTY CLERK 07/01/2020 02:55 PM                                                           INDEX NO. 28118/2019E
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 27                                                                              RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/01/2020

            SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF                       EW YORK
            CO   TY OF BRONX: I.A. . PART 14
            ----------------------------------------------------------------------X
            NILSA PAULfNO
                                                                                      D ClSION A D ORDER
                                                                       Plaintiff,
                                        - against -                                   Index   o. 281 18/20 I 9E
           JOHN ALLAN B E SO , "JOHN DOE'. aid name
           being fictitious and presently unknown, and          --xyz
           CORPORATION '·, said name being fictitious and
           presently unknown
                                                                   Defendants.
           ----------------------------------------------------------------------X
           John R. Higgitt J.

                    Upon plaintiff's January 8, 2020 notice of motion and the affirmation and exhibits

           submitted in support thereof; defendant Benson's March 2 2020 affirmation in oppo ition and

           the exhibits ubmitted therewith ; plaintiff         March 13, 2020 affirmation in repl y and due

           deliberati on· plaintiff' motion for partial ummary judgment on th is ue of defendant Benson '

           liability for cau ing the subject motor vehicle accident and for dismissal of de fe ndant Ben on ·s

           affirmative defen e alleging plaintiff failure to wear a eatb It i denied .

                    Thi i an gligence action to recover damages for personal injuries pl a intiff alleged!

           sustained in a motor vehicle accident that took place on January 17. 2019. In upport of her

           motion plaintiff submit the pleadings and her affidavit. Plaintiff averred that at the time of the

           accident she was in the process of merging onto the Cross Bronx Expressway when she had to

           come to a stop because traffic in front of her was stopped. Plaintiff averred that after her ehicle

           was stopped for a few seconds, defendant Benson· s vehicle suddenly struck the rear of her

           vehicle.

                    In opposition, defendant Benson averred that he was traveling in the rightmost lane of

           moving traffic when suddenly plaintiffs vehicle attempted to merge into his lane, causing the

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  FILED: BRONX COUNTY CLERK 07/01/2020 02:55 PM                                                               INDEX NO. 28118/2019E
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 27                                                                                  RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/01/2020

            accident. 1 Defendant Benson also submitted photographs of the vehicle. which show the damage

            to the subject vehicles.

                    The proponent of a summar judgment motion must make a prima facie howing of

            entitlement to judgment as a matter of la . tendering uffici nt e idence to eliminate any

            material issues of fact from the case(. ·ee Alvarez v Prospect Ho.sp .. 68            Y2d 320

            [1986]- Zuckerman v City of ew York, 49              Y2d 557 [1980]). Failure to make such a ho, ing

            requires denjal of the motion regardles of the sufficiency of the opposing papers (see Winegrad

            v Nevv York     niv. Med. Ctr., 64 NY2d 851 [1985]). Summar judgment hould bed nied where

           there i an y doubt as to the existence of a triab le issue (see Zuckerman , supra ). When there i

            conflicting evidence as to how an accident occurred, summary judgment is inappropriate ( ·ee

            Elamin v Robert Express, inc .. 290 AD2d 291 [ I st Dept 2002]). In deciding a ummary

           judgment motion. the court should not weigh the parties' credibility (see Krupp v Aetna l(fe &

            Casualty Co. , 103 AD2d 252, 262 [2d Dept 2002]).

                    The conflicting version as to how the accident occurred demonstrate the existence of

            issues of fact and credibility making summary judgment in favor of plaintiff inappropriate

            (see Per it ore v Anna & Diane Cab Corp. , 12 7 AD3d 669 [1st Dept 2014 ]). Notably. defendant

            Benson' s account of the events is not incredible as a matter of law (cf Moorhouse v Standard.

             . Y. 124 AD3d 1 [1st Dept 2014]). Moreover, defendant Benson·s affida it is not materiall y

            inconsistent with any police-report admissions.              o statement in the report is clearly attributable

            to defendant Ben on. and the tatement plaintiff belie es was made by defendant Benson is not

            inconsistent with his affidavit.

            1 Although defendant Benson ' s affidavit does not comply with CPL R 2309(c), the court can and does allow

            defendant to correct the tech ni ca l defect (see Bank of . Y. v in gh. 139 03d 486 [ I st Dept 2016]).

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  FILED: BRONX COUNTY CLERK 07/01/2020 02:55 PM                                                    INDEX NO. 28118/2019E
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 27                                                                       RECEIVED NYSCEF: 07/01/2020

                   As to defendant Benson ' s fourth affirmative defense alleging plaintiffs failure to wear a

            seatbelt, plaintiff averred that, at the time of the accident, she was wearing a seat belt. However,

            whether plaintiff was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident is a matter that is exclusively

            within her knowledge and defendants must be allowed to explore it in discovery (see CPLR

            3212[f]).

                   Accordingly, it is

                   ORDERED that plaintiffs motion is denied ; and it is further

                   ORDERED, that defendant Benson is to file and serve an affidavit that complies with

            CPLR 2309(c) within 60 days of the date of this decision and order.

                        The parties are reminded that a compliance conference has been scheduled before the

            undersigned on November 6, 2020 at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom 407.

                   This constitutes the decision and order of the court.

            Dated: June 26, 2020

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