MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM IN THIS HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED, LAW OFFICE FAILURE NOT AN ADEQUATE EXCUSE (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department determined the Court of Claims should not have granted claimant’s motion for leave to file a late notice of claim in this highway accident case. Plaintiff’s motorcycle skidded off the road and truck a guardrail. The accident report stated that plaintiff lost control of the motorcycle “for an unknown reason.” The notice of claim should have filed within 90 days, but, due to law office failure, the attempt to file was made two and a half years late. Law office failure is not an adequate excuse. The accident report did not alert the state to the essential facts of the claim, and claimant did not show the state was not prejudiced by the delay:
Court of Claims Act § 10(3) requires that a claim to recover damages for personal injuries caused by the negligence of an officer or employee of the state must be served upon the attorney general within 90 days after the accrual of such claim. However, “Court of Claims Act § 10(6) permits a court, in its discretion, upon consideration of the enumerated factors, to allow a claimant to file a late claim” … . The enumerated factors are whether the delay in filing was excusable, the State had notice of the essential facts constituting the claim, the State had an opportunity to investigate the circumstances underlying the claim, the claim appears to be meritorious, the State is prejudiced, and the claimant has any other available remedy … . “No one factor is deemed controlling, nor is the presence or absence of any one factor determinative” … . Casey v State of New York, 2018 NY Slip Op 03120, Second Dept 5-2-18
COURT OF CLAIMS (TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, NOTICE OF CLAIM, MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM IN THIS HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT))/NOTICE OF CLAIM (COURT OF CLAIMS, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, NOTICE OF CLAIM, MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM IN THIS HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT))/TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS (COURT OF CLAIMS, NOTICE OF CLAIM, MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE OF CLAIM IN THIS HIGHWAY ACCIDENT CASE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT))/ATTORNEYS (COURT OF CLAIMS, NOTICE OF CLAIM, LAW OFFICE FAILURE IS NOT AN ADEQUATE EXCUSE FOR FAILURE TO TIMELY FILE NOTICE OF CLAIM (SECOND DEPT))/LAW OFFICE FAILURE (COURT OF CLAIMS, NOTICE OF CLAIM, LAW OFFICE FAILURE IS NOT AN ADEQUATE EXCUSE FOR FAILURE TO TIMELY FILE NOTICE OF CLAIM (SECOND DEPT))