Court Opinion

ID: 9916460
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-10 01:07:06.397905+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:25:29.163652
License: Public Domain

Zuckerberg v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp.
               2024 NY Slip Op 30021(U)
                     January 5, 2024
           Supreme Court, New York County
        Docket Number: Index No. 151022/2023
                   Judge: Judy H. Kim
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
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                       publication.
                                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 151022/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 16                                                                                            RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/05/2024

                                   SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
                                             NEW YORK COUNTY
            PRESENT:             HON. JUDY H. KIM                                                 PART                          OSRCP
                                                                                       Justice
            ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------X   INDEX NO.          151022/2023
             SHAUL ZUCKERBERG,
                                                                                                  MOTION DATE         04/18/2023
                                                         Petitioner,
                                                                                                  MOTION SEQ. NO.         001
                                                 - V -

             THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION
                                                                                                    DECISION + ORDER ON
             CORPORATION,
                                                                                                          MOTION
                                                         Respondent.
            ------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------X

            The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,
            12, 13, 14, 15
            were read on this motion for                                                  LEAVE TO COMMENCE ACTION

                      Petitioner brings this special proceeding for leave, to commence an action against

            respondent Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation ("MVAIC") for first-party no-

            fault benefits for basic economic loss arising out of the use or operation in this state of an uninsured

            motor vehicle.

                      The following facts are undisputed: On December 14, 2021, at approximately 8:45 p.m.,

            petitioner was riding a Citi Bike when he was hit by a car at the intersection of Houston Street and

            Mercer Street. After the collision, the driver of the car stopped and drove petitioner to the Mt.

            Sinai/Beth Israel Hospital emergency room (the "ER"). However, once petitioner got out of the

            car at the ER, the driver drove off before petitioner was able to obtain his name, license plate

            number, or insurance information.

             151022/2023 ZUCKERBERG, SHAUL vs. THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION                             Page 1 of 5
             CORPORATION
             Motion No. 001

                                                                            1 of 5
[* 1]
                                                                                                   INDEX NO. 151022/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 16                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/05/2024

                     At the hospital, petitioner was diagnosed with a closed fracture of the proximal end of the

            left radius and left ulna. Petitioner informed hospital staff at the ER that he was involved in a car

            accident but police were not called to the hospital. Petitioner was discharged from the hospital the

            next day and thereafter was "immobilized" and "restricted" to his home. On December 18, 2021,

            petitioner had an open reduction surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital to repair his fractured arm.

                     Petitioner never made any report of the subject collision to the police.

                     On March 8, 2022, petitioner timely served respondent with a Notice oflntention to Make

            Claim. On February 2, 2023, he commenced the instant special proceeding.

                     MVAIC opposes the Petition, arguing that petitioner is not entitled to coverage because he

            has failed to submit proof that the accident was reported to the police, peace, judicial officer or

            commissioner of motor vehicles within twenty-four hours or as soon thereafter as was reasonably

            possible or that it was not reasonably possible to make such a report, as required by Insurance Law

            §5208.

                                                       DISCUSSION

                     MVAIC was created to provide innocent victims of motor vehicle accidents reparation for

            the injury and financial loss inflicted upon them by unidentified motor vehicles that leave the scene

            of the accident. Pursuant to New York Insurance Law §5218(b), the Court may permit an action

            against MVAIC to proceed after certain enumerated conditions have been satisfied. N.Y. Ins. L.

            §5218(b)(l)-(6).

                     A petitioner seeking leave of court to commence an action against MVAIC has the initial

            burden of demonstrating that he or she is a "qualified person" within the meaning of the Insurance

            law (Matter of Hernandez v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp., 120 AD 3 d 1347 [2nd Dept 2014]).

            A "qualified person" is an individual who is a resident of New York State, is not insured, and does

             151022/2023 ZUCKERBERG, SHAUL vs. THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION          Page 2 of 5
             CORPORATION
             Motion No. 001

                                                           2 of 5
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                                                                                                  INDEX NO. 151022/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 16                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/05/2024

            not own a motor vehicle (or have anyone in his or her household who does). N.Y. Ins. L. §5202(b ).

            There is no dispute that petitioner has satisfied these requirements.

                   However, this determination does not end the inquiry (Canty v Motor Vehicle Acc.

            Indemnification Corp., 95 AD2d 509 [2d Dept 1983]). Rather, a qualified individual must also

            establish that he has satisfied all of the requirements of Insurance Law Article 52 in order to be

            deemed a "covered person" entitled to payment of first-party benefits from MVAIC (See Insurance

            Law§ 5221[b]).

                   As pertinent here, Article 52 requires that a petitioner must, as a condition precedent to

            coverage, submit an affidavit to MVAIC stating that he or she filed an accident report within

            twenty-four hours of the accident to the police or certain other enumerated entities, unless it was

            "not reasonably possible to make such a report or that it was made as soon as was reasonably

            possible" (Insurance Law §5208). This requirement "serves the important function[] of preventing

            fraudulent claims and of giving the police an opportunity to investigate and bring the hit-and-run

            driver to justice" (Progressive Ins. Co. v Otero, 81 Misc 3d 1211(A) [Sup Ct, Richmond 2023]

            citing Canty v Motor Vehicle Acc. Indemnification Corp., 95 AD2d 509 [2d Dept 1983]).

                   Petitioner has not satisfied this requirement. Petitioner concedes that he never filed an

            accident report with the police or any other enumerated entity and the Court concludes that he has

            not reasonably possible to do so. The closed fracture of the left forearm sustained by petitioner

            does not, in and of itself, "excuse his failure to report the occurrence within the prescribed time

            limit" (U.S. Fire Ins. Co. v Grieco, 41 AD2d 716, 716 [1st Dept 1973] citing Davis v Motor Veh.

            Acc. Indem. Corp., 33 AD2d 663 [1st Dept 1969]). Neither does petitioner's representation that

            he was unable to leave his home to file a police report in person excuse his failure to make any

            efforts to satisfy the notice requirement. "[C]ourts have consistently afforded a very liberal

             151022/2023 ZUCKERBERG, SHAUL vs. THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION         Page 3 of 5
             CORPORATION
             Motion No. 001

                                                          3 of 5
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                                                                                                   INDEX NO. 151022/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 16                                                                        RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/05/2024

            interpretation to the notice requirement, accepting police contacts that fall far short of the

            operator's obtaining a written report" (Matter of Gurvich v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp., 66

            AD3d 677 [2d Dept 2009] [internal citations and quotations omitted]) including notification by

            telephone (See Davis v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp., 33 AD2d 663 [1st Dept 1969] [denying

            petition based on late notice where petitioner "admitted she had a telephone in her apartment on

            the day of the accident"]; see also Mejia v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp., 70 Misc 3d 1208(A)

            [Civ Ct, Bronx County 2020] ["the Court finds that in calling the precinct and attempting to report

            the accident by phone on January 18, 2017, petitioner fulfilled the 24-hour notice requirement"]).

            Accordingly, the conceded absence of any effort on the part of petitioner to report the subject

            collision dooms his petition.

                    While petitioner asserts, in reply, that an evidentiary hearing as to this issue is necessary,

            the Court disagrees. "[I]t is unnecessary for this court to hold a hearing to allow [petitioner] to

            testify to the same assertions he makes in his affidavit and submit the same proof he submitted

            with his motion" (Attaway v Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp., 35 Misc 3d 1214(A) [Sup Ct, Bronx

            County 2012])

                   Accordingly, it is

                    ORDERED and ADJUDGED that the petition is denied and dismissed; and it is further

                    ORDERED that within thirty days of entry, respondent shall serve a copy of this decision,

            order, and judgment, with notice of entry, upon petitioner as well as the Clerk of the Court ( 60

            Centre Street, Room 141B) and the Clerk of the General Clerk's Office (60 Centre Street, Room

            119); and it is further

                    ORDERED that such service upon the Clerk of the Court and the Clerk of the General

            Clerk's Office shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Protocol on

             151022/2023 ZUCKERBERG, SHAUL vs. THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION           Page 4 of 5
             CORPORATION
             Motion No. 001

                                                           4 of 5
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                                                                                                      INDEX NO. 151022/2023
  NYSCEF DOC. NO. 16                                                                           RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/05/2024

            Courthouse and County Clerk Procedures for Electronically Filed Cases (accessible at the "E-

            Filing" page on this Court's website at the address www.nycourts.gov/supctmanh).

                    This constitutes the decision, order, and judgment of the court.

                     1/5/2024
                      DATE                                                         HON. JUDY H. KIM, J.S.C.

                                                                       ~
             CHECK ONE:                  CASE DISPOSED                     NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

                                         GRANTED         0    DENIED       GRANTED IN PART          □ OTHER
             APPLICATION:                SETTLE ORDER                      SUBMIT ORDER

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

             151022/2023 ZUCKERBERG, SHAUL vs. THE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT INDEMNIFICATION             Page 5 of 5
             CORPORATION
             Motion No. 001

                                                           5 of 5
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