Supreme Court Has the Power to Appoint a Temporary Representative to Substitute for a Defendant in a Personal Injury Action
One of the defendants in a personal injury action died. The plaintiff moved pursuant to CPLR 1015 to have Supreme Court appoint a temporary representative of the estate, and to have the temporary representative substituted for the deceased defendant. The defendants opposed the motion arguing that Surrogate’s Court was the appropriate forum for the appointment of a temporary administrator. In finding that Supreme Court could make the appointment, the Second Department wrote:
“In most instances the personal representative of the decedent’s estate should be substituted in the action” …. However, in the event no such representative exists, an appropriate appointment should be made and that individual should be substituted in place of the decedent … . “In determining who shall be substituted for the decedent, conflict of interest questions may be raised” … .
The Second Department, however, determined that the person Supreme Court appointed, the attorney for the insurance company defending the action, had a conflict of interest because the insurance company had disclaimed coverage for the subject accident. The matter was remitted for the appointment of a different temporary administrator. Dieye v Royal Blue Services, Inc., 2012 NY Slip Op 01527, 2012-03428, Index No 3392/09, 2nd Dept. 3-13-13
