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THE ABSENCE OF A REASONABLE EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO FILE A TIMELY NOTICE OF CLAIM IS NOT NECESSARILY FATAL TO A PETITION FOR LEAVE TO FILE A LATE NOTICE WHERE, AS HERE, THE MUNICIPALITY HAD ACTUAL TIMELY NOTICE OF THE FACTS UNDERLYING THE CLAIM AND IS NOT PREJUDICED BY THE DELAY (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined petitioners’ motion for leave to file a late notice of claim in this traffic accident case involving a city bus should have been granted. Although the excuse for failure to time file (petitioners’ infancy) was not reasonable, that flaw was not fatal because the city had timely actual knowledge of the essential facts underlying the claim and was not prejudiced by the delay:​

Here, the respondents acquired timely, actual knowledge of the essential facts constituting the petitioners’ claim. Although a police report regarding an automobile accident does not, in and of itself, constitute notice of a claim to a municipality or public corporation, where the report reflects that an employee of the municipality or public corporation committed a potentially actionable wrong, such entity can be found to have actual knowledge … . In this case, the police report, which the petitioners sent to the NYCTA [NYC Transit Authority] on or about July 2, 2021, indicated that the multivehicle collision was set in motion by Robinson, who caused the bus to come into contact with the rear of another vehicle. The police report also indicated that several bus passengers reported injuries and named the injured petitioners, among others. In addition, the respondents were in possession of the injured petitioners’ medical records. Under these circumstances, the respondents acquired timely, actual knowledge of the essential facts constituting the petitioners’ claim … .

Moreover, since the respondents acquired timely, actual knowledge of the essential facts constituting the petitioners’ claim, the petitioners met their initial burden of showing a lack of prejudice to the respondents’ ability to maintain a defense … . Matter of Arvizu v New York City Tr. Auth., 2025 NY Slip Op 03323, Second Dept 6-4-25

Practice Point: A municipality will be deemed to have timely actual notice of a claim where, as here, the police report reflects that an employee of the municipality committed a potentially actionable wrong.​​​​​​​​​​​

 

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