Allegations Not Supported by Record Could Not Defeat Plaintiff-Pedestrian’s Motion for Summary Judgment/Plaintiff’s Mental Health Records Discoverable Where Plaintiff Alleges Anxiety and Mental Anguish After Being Struck by Defendant’s Van

Plaintiff was struck by defendants’ van as she was crossing a street.  In opposing the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, defendants claimed plaintiff was crossing when the signal was flashing the “don’t walk” icon, was talking on a cell phone, and “jumped” in front of defendants’ van.  In determining Supreme Court should have granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment, the Second Department wrote:

The plaintiff established her prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law on the issue of liability by demonstrating that she entered the crosswalk after exercising reasonable care and was walking within the crosswalk with the pedestrian crossing signal in her favor, and the defendant Kilakos was negligent in failing to yield the right of way (see Traffic Rules and Regs of City of NY [34 RCNY] § 4-03[a][1][i]; [c][1], [2];…). The assertions made by the defendants in opposition lacked an evidentiary basis in the record and, thus, failed to raise a triable issue of fact …. Accordingly, the Supreme Court should have granted the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment on the issue of liability.

The Second Department also determined Supreme Court properly granted defendants’ cross motion to compel the disclosure of plaintiff’s mental health records because she sought damages for anxiety, mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life. Moreira v MK Travel & Transp, Inc, 2013 NY Slip Op 03645, 2nd Dept, 5-22-13

TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, PEDESTRIANS