PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO SERVE A SUPPLEMENTAL BILL OF PARTICULARS SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED BECAUSE IT MERELY AMPLIFIED THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE COMPLAINT AND BILL OF PARTICULARS; HOWEVER, THE NEW CAUSES OF ACTION IN THE AMENDED BILLS OF PARTICULARS WERE PROPERLY STRUCK (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court, determined plaintiff in this medical malpractice action should have been allowed to serve a supplemental bill of particulars which amplified the allegations in the complaint and noted that plaintiff’s mislabeling an amended bill of particulars as a supplemental bill of particulars could be overlooked:
A party is entitled to amend their bill of particulars “once as of right at any time prior to filing the note of issue” … . A bill of particulars “may be used to amplify the allegations in a complaint [but] may not be used to supply allegations essential to a cause of action that was not pleaded in the complaint” … . Nor can a bill of particulars “add or substitute a new theory or cause of action” not asserted in the complaint … .
Although the second amended bill was denominated as a “Supplemental Bill of Particulars,” we may disregard the plaintiff’s mistake in labeling her bill of particulars where, as here, a substantial right of a party will not be prejudiced (see CPLR 2001 …).
The Supreme Court properly granted that branch of [defendant’s] motion … to strike the first amended bill, as the plaintiff alleged a new cause of action alleging malpractice and negligence in performing the knee replacement surgery, which was not previously set forth in the complaint or original bill of particulars … . Further, the court properly granted that branch of [defendant’s] motion … to strike that portion of the second amended bill that alleged malpractice and negligence in the plaintiff’s preoperative care, as well as malpractice and negligence in performing the knee replacement surgery, as these causes of action were not previously set forth in the complaint or original bill of particulars … . However, the court should have granted the plaintiff leave to serve a supplemental bill of particulars with respect to the allegations included in the second amended bill related to postoperative physical therapy and care, as they only served to amplify the allegations in the complaint … , and should have denied that branch of [defendant’s] motion which was to preclude the plaintiff from offering evidence at trial relating to her postoperative physical therapy and care. Quinones v Long Is. Jewish Med. Ctr., 2024 NY Slip Op 04471, Second Dept 9-18-24
Practice Point: Here a motion for leave to serve a supplemental bill of particulars which only amplified the allegations in the complaint and bill of particulars should have been granted. But new causes of action included in the amended bills of particulars were properly struck.