Court Opinion

ID: 9958710
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-09 20:09:43.234305+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:38.835994
License: Public Domain

Lasano v Kaye
               2024 NY Slip Op 31120(U)
                      April 3, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 450987/2019
                  Judge: John J. Kelley
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                                                                                                                     INDEX NO. 450987/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 262                                                                                          RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/03/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. JOHN J. KELLEY                                             PART                              56M
                                                                                      Justice
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X   INDEX NO.          450987/2019
             SALAMIA G. LASANO, individually, and as executor of the
             estate of JOE S. LASANO (deceased),                                                                    11/08/2023,
                                                                                                                    11/08/2023,
                                                         Plaintiff,                                                 11/15/2023,
                                                                                                 MOTION DATE        11/15/2023
                                                 -v-
                                                                                                                    002, 003, 004,
             PETER M. KAYE, M.D., NIRMALA NANJAPPA, M.D.,                                        MOTION SEQ. NO.         005
             JOSEPH MING LEE, M.D., GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL,
             PRASHANT SINHA, M.D., GRETA LYNN PIPER, M.D.,
             NYU HOSPITALS CENTER, also known as NEW YORK
             UNIVERSITY LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER, JOHN DOE,                                          DECISION + ORDER ON
             JANE DOE, JANE ROE, and ABC COMPANIES 1-5,                                                  MOTION

                                                         Defendants.
            ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 002) 214, 215, 216, 217,
            218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 250
                                                                 VACATE/STRIKE - NOTE OF ISSUE/JURY
            were read on this motion to/for                         DEMAND/FROM TRIAL CALENDAR              .

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 003) 206, 207, 208, 209,
            210, 211, 212, 213, 249
                                                               VACATE/STRIKE - NOTE OF ISSUE/JURY
            were read on this motion to/for                      DEMAND/FROM TRIAL CALENDAR                 .

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 004) 230, 231, 232, 233,
            234, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 259
                                                               VACATE/STRIKE - NOTE OF ISSUE/JURY
            were read on this motion to/for                      DEMAND/FROM TRIAL CALENDAR                 .

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 005) 235, 236, 237, 238,
            239, 240, 241, 242, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 258
                                                               VACATE/STRIKE - NOTE OF ISSUE/JURY
            were read on this motion to/for                      DEMAND/FROM TRIAL CALENDAR                 .

                      In this action to recover damages for medical malpractice based on alleged departures

            from good and accepted practice, for lack of informed consent, and for wrongful death, the

            defendants Prashant Sinha, M.D., Greta Lynn Piper, M.D., and NYU Hospitals Center, also

            known as NYU Langone Medical Center (collectively the NYU defendants), move pursuant to 22

             450987/2019 LASANO, SALAMIA G. vs. KAYE, MD, PETER M.                                                   Page 1 of 5
             Motion No. 002 003 004 005

                                                                           1 of 5
[* 1]
                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 450987/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 262                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/03/2024

            NYCRR 202.21(e) to vacate the note of issue and certificate of readiness and, if that branch of

            their motion is denied, for an extension of time within which to move for summary judgment

            (MOT SEQ 002). The defendants Peter M. Kaye, M.D., and Good Samaritan Hospital (together

            the Good Samaritan defendants) move for the same relief (MOT SEQ 003), as do the

            defendants Nirmala Nanjappa, M.D. (MOT SEQ 004) and Joseph Ming Lee, M.D. (SEQ 005).

            The plaintiff, in papers filed under Motion Sequence 004, opposes all of the motions. The

            motions are granted only to the extent that the defendants’ time to move for summary judgment

            is extended until June 3, 2024, and the motions are otherwise denied.

                   In a status conference order dated January 9, 2023, this court, among other things,

            scheduled the dates for party depositions and fixed the note of issue filing deadline as

            December 20, 2023. In a follow-up status conference order dated September 6, 2023, the court

            rescheduled the deposition of one of the parties whose deposition had been scheduled in the

            prior status conference order, and directed the plaintiff to provide certain additional

            authorizations permitting the defendants to obtain relevant medical records. The September 6,

            2023 order extended the note of issue filing deadline until February 8, 2024. Neither of those

            two status conference orders addressed any outstanding demands that the plaintiff serve

            supplemental bills of particulars or the scheduling of nonparty witness depositions. Both of

            those orders included the following language: “Absent good cause shown, any discovery issues

            not raised herein will be deemed waived.”

                   The plaintiff served and filed the note of issue on September 26, 2023. 22 NYCRR

            202.21(e) provides, in relevant part, that,

                           “[w]ithin 20 days after service of a note of issue and certificate of readiness, any
                           party to the action or special proceeding may move to vacate the note of issue,
                           upon affidavit showing in what respects the case is not ready for trial, and the
                           court may vacate the note of issue if it appears that a material fact in the
                           certificate of readiness is incorrect, or that the certificate of readiness fails to
                           comply with the requirements of this section in some material respect.”

             450987/2019 LASANO, SALAMIA G. vs. KAYE, MD, PETER M.                                    Page 2 of 5
             Motion No. 002 003 004 005

                                                            2 of 5
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                                                                                                  INDEX NO. 450987/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 262                                                                      RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/03/2024

            The defendants thus had until October 16, 2023 within which to move to vacate the note of

            issue pursuant to this court rule (see General Construction Law § 20). Pursuant to CPLR 2211,

            “[a] motion on notice is made when a notice of the motion or an order to show cause is served.”

            The NYU defendants timely made their motion by serving a notice of motion on October 6,

            2023, the Good Samaritan defendants timely moved by serving a notice of motion on

            September 28, 2023, and Lee timely moved by serving a notice of motion on October 16, 2023.

            Nanjappa, however, did not serve her order to show cause until October 19, 2023, and, hence,

            that branch of her motion seeking to vacate the note of issue must be denied as untimely.

                   In any event, all of the defendants’ motions must be denied on the merits as well. A

            court may vacate a note of issue where it appears that a material fact set forth therein, i.e., the

            representation that discovery is complete, is incorrect (see 22 NYCRR 202.21[e]; Rivers v

            Birnbaum, 102 AD3d 26 [2d Dept 2012]; Gomes v Valentine Realty LLC, 32 AD3d 699 [1st Dept

            2006]; Herbert v Sivaco Wire Corp., 1 AD3d 144 [1st Dept 2003]). Nonetheless, where

            discovery is nearly completed, “[a] court, in its discretion, may allow post-note of issue discovery

            without vacating the note of issue as long as prejudice to either party would not result” (WVH

            Hous. Dev. Fund Corp. v Brooklyn Insulation & Soundproofing, Inc., 193 AD3d 523, 523 [1st

            Dept 2021]; see Samuelsen v Wollman Rink Operations, LLC, 196 AD3d 408, 408-409 [1st

            Dept 2021] [permitting defendant to conduct IME while action remained on the trial calendar]).

            The plaintiff demonstrated that she had provided all of the authorizations that had been

            requested by the several defendants, and, while the motions were pending, she served a

            response to an outstanding demand by the Good Samaritan defendants. To the extent that any

            party claimed that additional discovery was outstanding because of the need to conduct

            nonparty witness depositions or to serve a demand for a supplemental bill of particulars, those

            items of discovery have been waived, as they were not addressed in the court’s final two status

            conference orders, and the defendants have neither demonstrated “good cause” nor “special,

             450987/2019 LASANO, SALAMIA G. vs. KAYE, MD, PETER M.                                 Page 3 of 5
             Motion No. 002 003 004 005

                                                            3 of 5
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                                                                                                    INDEX NO. 450987/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 262                                                                     RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/03/2024

            unusual or extraordinary” circumstances (22 NYCRR 202.21[d]) warranting additional post-note

            of issue disclosure.

                    In light of the fact that (a) the deadline for making summary judgment motions

            subsequent to the filing of the note of issue (see CPLR 3212[a]) already had expired during the

            pendency of these motions which, had they been successful, would have restored the action to

            pre-note of issue status and thereupon negated the deadline, and (b) the instant motions relate

            to disputes over outstanding discovery, the defendants have shown good cause for extending

            that deadline here (see Brill v City of New York, 2 NY3d 648 [2004]; Gonzalez v 98 Mag Leasing

            Corp., 95 NY2d 124 [2000]; Cooper v Hodge, 13 AD3d 1111 [4th Dept 2004]). The court thus

            extends the defendants’ deadlines for making a summary judgment motion until June 3, 2024.

                    Accordingly, it is,

                    ORDERED that the motion of the defendants Prashant Sinha, M.D., Greta Lynn Piper,

            M.D., and NYU Hospitals Center, also known as NYU Langone Medical Center (MOT SEQ

            002), is granted only to the extent that their deadline for moving for summary judgment is

            extended until June 3, 2024, and their motion is otherwise denied; and it is further,

                    ORDERED that the motion of the defendants Peter M. Kaye, M.D., and Good Samaritan

            Hospital (MOT SEQ 003) is granted only to the extent that their deadline for moving for

            summary judgment is extended until June 3, 2024, and their motion is otherwise denied; and it

            is further,

                    ORDERED that the motion of the defendant Nirmala Nanjappa, M.D. (MOT SEQ 004), is

            granted only to the extent that her deadline for moving for summary judgment is extended until

            June 3, 2024, and her motion is otherwise denied; and it is further,

                    ORDERED that the motion of the defendant Joseph Ming Lee, M.D. (MOT SEQ 005), is

            granted only to the extent that his deadline for moving for summary judgment is extended until

            June 3, 2024, and his motion is otherwise denied.

             450987/2019 LASANO, SALAMIA G. vs. KAYE, MD, PETER M.                                  Page 4 of 5
             Motion No. 002 003 004 005

                                                            4 of 5
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                                                                                                       INDEX NO. 450987/2019
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 262                                                                           RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/03/2024

                   This constitutes the Decision and Order of the court.

                   4/3/2024                                                             $SIG$
                    DATE                                                        JOHN J. KELLEY, J.S.C.

            MOTION 002:               CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                      □                                            □
                                      GRANTED              DENIED   X   GRANTED IN PART                OTHER

            APPLICATION:              SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                   □
                                                                                                       REFERENCE
            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:     INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT

            MOTION 003:               CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                      □                                            □
                                      GRANTED              DENIED   X   GRANTED IN PART                OTHER

            APPLICATION:              SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                   □
            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:     INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT          REFERENCE

            MOTION 004:               CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                      □                                            □
                                      GRANTED              DENIED   X   GRANTED IN PART                OTHER

            APPLICATION:              SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                   □
            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:     INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT          REFERENCE

            MOTION 005:               CASE DISPOSED                 X   NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                                      □                                            □
                                      GRANTED              DENIED   X   GRANTED IN PART                OTHER

            APPLICATION:              SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

                                                                                                   □
            CHECK IF APPROPRIATE:     INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN        FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT          REFERENCE

            450987/2019 LASANO, SALAMIA G. vs. KAYE, MD, PETER M.                                      Page 5 of 5
            Motion No. 002 003 004 005

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