DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED BASED UPON CONVENIENCE OF MATERIAL WITNESSES (FIRST DEPT).
The First Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendants’ motion to change venue should have been granted;
The motion court exercised its discretion in an improvident manner in light of defendants’ demonstration that the convenience of material nonparty witnesses would be better served by the change … . Defendants submitted the affidavits of four first responders and plaintiff’s coworker, all of whom averred that they would testify as witnesses but would be inconvenienced by traveling to New York County. The accident occurred in Sullivan County, and other than one defendant’s registered principal place of business, and one of plaintiff’s physicians maintaining an office in the county, this matter has no contact with New York County (… . Plaintiff’s argument that the affidavits submitted by defendants were not sufficiently detailed is unpersuasive, and plaintiff offers nothing to rebut defendants’ assertions that his coworker, the first responders, and the sheriff who investigated the accident were material witnesses, as they averred in their affidavits … . Furthermore, plaintiff’s assertion that he has alleged violations of the Labor Law, and thus liability may be resolved prior to trial, is not relevant … . Taylor v Montreign Operating Co., LLC, 2018 NY Slip Op 03222, First Dept 5-3-18
CIVIL PROCEDURE (DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED BASED UPON CONVENIENCE OF MATERIAL WITNESSES (FIRST DEPT))/VENUE (DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED BASED UPON CONVENIENCE OF MATERIAL WITNESSES (FIRST DEPT))/WITNESSES, CONVENIENCE OF (VENUE, DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED (FIRST DEPT))/VENUE (DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO CHANGE VENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED BASED UPON CONVENIENCE OF MATERIAL WITNESSES (FIRST DEPT))