You are here: / / Failure to Allege that But for the Legal Malpractice the Causes of Action...
, ,

Failure to Allege that But for the Legal Malpractice the Causes of Action Would Have Succeeded Required Dismissal

The Third Department determined plaintiff did not make out a prima facie case of legal malpractice because there was no allegation the causes of action would have been successful but for the alleged malpractice:

…[D]efendants correctly argue that Supreme Court should have granted their motion to dismiss the legal malpractice claim. It is well established that, “[i]n order to sustain a claim for legal malpractice, a plaintiff must establish both that the defendant attorney failed to exercise the ordinary reasonable skill and knowledge commonly possessed by a member of the legal profession which results in actual damages to a plaintiff, and that the plaintiff would have succeeded on the merits of the underlying action but for the attorney’s negligence” … . Here, although the complaint is replete with allegations of [the attorney’s] alleged failures to use reasonable and ordinary skill in connection with both of plaintiff’s underlying claims, it contains no allegation that, but for these alleged failures, plaintiff would have been successful on either claim. Therefore, even if we accept the allegations as true and liberally construe the complaint to allege negligent representation by [the attorney] …, the allegations are insufficient to make out a prima facie case of legal malpractice… . Hyman v Schwartz, 516728, 3rd Dept 2-27-14

 

You might also like
STACKED SCAFFOLDING FRAMES WHICH TOPPLED ONTO PLAINTIFF DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN ELEVATION RISK, LABOR LAW 240 (1) CAUSE OF ACTION PROPERLY DISMISSED; LABOR LAW 241 (6) CAUSE OF ACTION, BASED UPON CODE PROVISION REQUIRING SAFE, STABLE STORAGE OF BUILDING MATERIALS, PROPERLY SURVIVED.
RESPONDENT JUVENILE WAS DENIED HER RIGHT TO A SPEEDY TRIAL IN THIS JUVENILE DELINQUENCY PROCEEDING (THIRD DEPT).
POLICE OFFICER’S SLIP AND FALL DURING A BURGLARY INVESTIGATION NOT AN ACCIDENT.
THE SUPERIOR COURT INFORMATION TO WHICH DEFENDANT PLED GUILTY WAS JURISDICTIONALLY DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT DID NOT INCLUDE AN OFFENSE CHARGED IN THE FELONY COMPLAINT OR A LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSE (THIRD DEPT).
Summary Judgment Properly Granted to Hospital—Criteria for Hospital Liability for Treatment by a Non-Employee Explained
HERE DEFENDANT PLED GUILTY TO A SUPERIOR COURT INFORMATION (SCI) AFTER HE HAD BEEN INDICTED; THE WAIVER OF INDICTMENT WAS INVALID AND THE SCI WAS DISMISSED; THE ERROR IS JURISDICTIONAL AND NEED NOT BE PRESERVED BY OBJECTION (THIRD DEPT).
CLAIMANT ACTOR WAS NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS AND THEREFORE WAS NOT ENTITLED TO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS (THIRD DEPT).
PROPERTY OWNER SUFFICIENTLY ALLEGED THE REZONING TO PRECLUDE DEVELOPMENT WAS ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS AND CONSTITUTED REVERSE SPOT ZONING, THOSE CAUSES OF ACTION, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT ULTIMATELY BE SUCCESSFUL, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED (THIRD DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

Criteria for Interpreting a Settlement Agreement Which Is Incorporated But Not... Summary Judgment Finding Derivative Neglect Should Not Have Been Granted