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THE DEFENDANT SCHOOL IN THIS CHILD VICTIMS ACT CASE DID NOT DEMONSTRATE WHEN PLAINTIFF COULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE ALLEGED FRAUD WHICH INDUCED HIM TO SIGN RELEASES; THEREFORE THIS FRUAD-BASED ACTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED AS TIME-BARRED; THE COMPLAINT STATED CAUSES OF ACTION FOR FRAUDULENT INDUCEMENT AND FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the defendant school in this Child Victims Act case (1) did not demonstrate the fraud-based causes of action to set aside or rescind the releases signed by the plaintiff were time-barred and (2) was not entitled to dismissal of the fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment causes of action. Plaintiff alleged he would not have signed the releases had he known the guidance counsellor who allegedly sexually abused him would be allowed to continue in his employment, and he would not have signed the releases had he known there were other instances of sexual misconduct by the guidance counsellor of which the school was aware:  With respect to the statute of limitations for a fraud-based action, the court explained:

“A fraud-based action must be commenced within six years of the fraud or within two years from the time the plaintiff discovered the fraud or could with reasonable diligence have discovered it, whichever is later” (… see CPLR 203[g]; 213[8]). “The inquiry as to whether a plaintiff could, with reasonable diligence, have discovered the fraud turns on whether the plaintiff was possessed of knowledge of facts from which the fraud could be reasonably inferred” … . “Generally, knowledge of the fraudulent act is required and mere suspicion will not constitute a sufficient substitute. Where it does not conclusively appear that a plaintiff had knowledge of facts from which the fraud could reasonably be inferred, a [fraud-based cause of action] should not be dismissed on motion and the question should be left to the trier of facts” … . “Ordinarily, an inquiry into when a plaintiff should have discovered an alleged fraud presents a mixed question of law and fact” … .

Here, the defendant failed to establish that the causes of action to set aside or rescind the releases on the ground of fraud were time-barred pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(5) … . “[T]here was no indication in the [amended complaint] or in the papers submitted by the defendant[ ] on [its] motion as to when the plaintiff became aware” of the alleged fraudulent conduct … . In any event, the plaintiff, in affidavits submitted in opposition to the motion, indicated that he learned of certain facts underlying the fraud-based causes of action in early 2021 … . The defendant failed to demonstrate that the plaintiff, by exercising reasonable diligence, could have discovered those facts at some point prior to the two-year period immediately preceding the commencement of this action … . Gormley v Marist Bros. of the Schs., Province of the United States of Am., 2025 NY Slip Op 01612, Second Dept 3-19-25

Practice Point: Here defendant did not demonstrate when plaintiff could or should have become aware of the defendant’s alleged fraud. Therefore the motion to dismiss the fraud-based action as time-barred should not have been granted.

Practice Point: Consult this decision for an explanation of what must be alleged to state causes of action for fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment in the context of setting aside or rescinding a release.

 

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IN REINSTATING THE ACTION AFTER VACATING THE ORDER GRANTING SUMMARY JUDGMENT TO DEFENDANTS’, THE SECOND DEPARTMENT EXPLAINED WHAT SHOULD BE ALLEGED IN A COMPLAINT FOR LABOR LAW 240(1), 241(6) AND 200 CAUSES OF ACTION (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff’s motion to vacate the order granting defendants’ motion for summary judgment in this Labor Law 240(1), 241(6) and 200 action should have been granted. Plaintiff fell through the roof of the building he was working on. Apparently plaintiff failed to answer the summary judgment motion because of law office failure. In reinstating the action, the Second Department noted that the causes of action had been adequately pled as follows:​

“‘Labor Law § 240(1) imposes a nondelegable duty upon owners and general contractors to provide safety devices to protect workers from elevation-related risks'” … . “‘To impose liability pursuant to Labor Law § 240(1), there must be a violation of the statute and that violation must be a proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries'” … . Here, the plaintiff alleged that his fall through the roof was the result of an elevation-related hazard caused by the failure to keep necessary safety devices in place and identified the defendants as the owners of the premises. …

“‘Labor Law § 241(6) imposes on owners and contractors a nondelegable duty to provide reasonable and adequate protection and safety to persons employed in, or lawfully frequenting, all areas in which construction, excavation or demolition work is being performed'” … . “‘To establish liability under Labor Law § 241(6), a plaintiff or a claimant must demonstrate that his [or her] injuries were proximately caused by a violation of an Industrial Code provision that is applicable under the circumstances of the case'” … . Here, the plaintiff alleged that he was employed in an area where construction was being performed and that his injuries were proximately caused by the failure to comply with applicable statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations. ….

“‘Labor Law § 200 essentially codifies landowners’ and general contractors’ common-law duty to maintain a safe workplace'” … . “‘Where a plaintiff’s claims implicate the means and methods of the work, an owner or contractor will not be held liable under Labor Law § 200 unless it had the authority to supervise or control the performance of the work'” … . Here, the plaintiff alleged that the defendants failed to provide a safe place to work and that the defendants controlled and supervised the work at issue. Bayron Chay Mo v Ultra Dimension Place, LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 01338, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a clear explanation of what should be alleged in the complaint for Labor Law 240(1), 241(6) and 200 causes of action.

 

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PLAINTIFF INSURER DENIED FOUR CLAIMS FOR NO-FAULT INSURANCE BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH FOUR DISTINCT CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENTS PROVIDED BY DEFENDANT TO A WOMAN INJURED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT; EACH OF THE FOUR CLAIMS WAS FOR AN AMOUNT BELOW $5000; AN ARBITRATOR AWARDED THE CLAIMED BENEFITS TO THE DEFENDANT; PLAINTIFF THEN SOUGHT DE NOVO REVIEW OF THE ARBITRAL AWARDS WHICH HAS A $5000 THRESHOLD; THE FOUR DISTINCT ARBITRAL AWARDS CANNOT BE COMBINED TO MEET THE $5000 THRESHOLD (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Duffy, determined the complaint in this no-fault insurance-benefit action should have been dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction:

The issue on appeal, an issue of first impression for this Court, is whether, under certain circumstances, separate and distinct arbitral awards can be treated by a court as, in effect, a single arbitral award under Insurance Law § 5106(c) and pursuant to 11 NYCRR 65-4.10(h)(1)(ii) for the purposes of determining whether the requisite $5,000 threshold establishing subject matter jurisdiction has been met to allow for a de novo review of claims for no-fault insurance benefits…. [W]e hold that the plain language of Insurance Law § 5106(c) and 11 NYCRR 65-4.10(h)(1) does not contemplate allowing separate and distinct arbitral awards to be treated as, in effect, a single arbitral award or to be combined by a court for the purposes of meeting the required monetary jurisdictional threshold under Insurance Law § 5106(c) and 11 NYCRR 65-4.10(h)(1)(ii). …

… [P]laintiff American Transit Insurance Company commenced this action pursuant to Insurance Law § 5106(c) and 11 NYCRR 65-4.10(h)(1)(ii) to seek de novo review of four separate arbitral awards issued by a master arbitrator (hereinafter the arbitral awards). The four arbitral awards were issued by the same master arbitrator, following separate arbitration proceedings upon the plaintiff’s denial of payment for medical services performed by the defendant for Nancy Bayona, an individual who alleged that she was injured as a result of a motor vehicle accident in February 2019 when she was riding as a passenger in a taxi insured by the plaintiff. The arbitration proceedings arose upon the plaintiff’s denial of each of four claims submitted to it by the defendant for a repeated course of chiropractic treatment of Bayona performed by the defendant between March 8 and September 4, 2019. After each of the four arbitration proceedings, the master arbitrator issued an arbitral award in favor of the defendant, respectively, as follows: $4,767.63 for chiropractic services performed in March 2019; $4,767.63 for chiropractic services performed in March 2019 and April 2019; $4,767.63 for chiropractic services performed in April 2019 and May 2019; and $3,178.42 for chiropractic services performed in August 2019. … [P]laintiff commenced this action seeking de novo review of the four arbitral awards. American Tr. Ins. Co. v Comfort Choice Chiropractic, P.C., 2025 NY Slip Op 01337, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: De novo review of an arbitral award of no-fault benefits has a threshold of $5000. Here there were four claims for no-fault benefits for four distinct chiropractic treatments provided to a woman injured in a traffic accident. Each of the four claims was for an amount below $5000. The Second Department held the $5000 threshold for de novo review could not be met by combining the four distinct arbitral awards.

 

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WHERE A DEFENDANT IS AN “ELIGIBLE YOUTH,” THE SENTENCING COURT MUST CONSIDER YOUTHFUL OFFENDER TREATMENT; IF THE RECORD IS SILENT ON THE ISSUE, THE SENTENCE WILL BE VACATED AND THE MATTER REMITTED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, vacating defendant’s sentence and remitting the matter, determined defendant was an “eligible youth” but the record was silent about whether the court considered youthful offender treatment:

“Criminal Procedure Law § 720.20(1) requires a court to make a youthful offender determination in every case where the defendant is eligible, even where the defendant fails to request it, or agrees to forego it as part of a plea bargain” … . “Where a defendant is an eligible youth, the determination of whether to afford him or her youthful offender treatment must be explicitly made on the record” … . Here, even though the defendant was an eligible youth, the record does not demonstrate that the Supreme Court made such a determination. Accordingly, the defendant’s sentence must be vacated and the matter remitted to the Supreme Court, Queens County, for resentencing after a determination as to whether the defendant should be afforded youthful offender treatment … . People v Suckoo, 2025 NY Slip Op 01396, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: If the record does not reflect that the court considered youthful offender treatment for an “eligible youth,” the sentence will be vacated.​

 

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A DEFENDANT’S RIGHT TO BE PERSONALLY PRESENT FOR SENTENCING EXTENDS TO RESENTENCING AND TO THE AMENDMENT OF A SENTENCE (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court and remitting the matter, determined defendant had a right to be present at his resentencing:

The defendant was not present at the resentencing proceeding in June 2023 because he was incarcerated in Florida. The Supreme Court nonetheless resentenced the defendant to the same sentence as had been previously imposed.

“A defendant has a fundamental right to be personally present at the time sentence is pronounced” … , which “extends to resentencing or to the amendment of a sentence” … . Although the defendant had already completed serving the incarceration portion of his sentence as of resentencing, the defendant had not completed the postrelease supervision component of his sentence, for which the Supreme Court could have resentenced the defendant to a minimum period of 3 years and a maximum period of 10 years (see Penal Law § 70.45[2-a][a]). The defendant was not present at the resentencing proceeding, and the record is devoid of any indication that he waived his right to be present … . People v Allen, 2025 NY Slip Op 01381, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: Absent a waiver, a defendant has the right to be personally presented at a resentencing.

 

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RESTRAINING A PERSON FOR A FEW SECONDS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULL THAT PERSON INTO A VEHICLE DOES NOT SATISFY THE CRITERIA FOR KIDNAPPING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Family Court in this juvenile delinquency proceeding, determined the evidence did not support the kidnapping charge:

… Family Court’s determination that the appellant committed acts which, if committed by an adult, would have constituted the crime of kidnapping in the second degree was against the weight of the evidence. “A person is guilty of kidnapping in the second degree when he [or she] abducts another person” (Penal Law § 135.20 …). As relevant here, abduction “means to restrain a person with intent to prevent his [or her] liberation by either secreting or holding him [or her] in a place where he [or she] is not likely to be found” … . “Restrain means to restrict a person’s movements intentionally and unlawfully in such manner as to interfere substantially with his [or her] liberty by moving him [or her] from one place to another, or by confining him [or her] . . . without consent and with knowledge that the restriction is unlawful” … . Here, the presentment agency’s evidence demonstrated that the appellant restrained the complainant for a very short time while the two were in the midst of a physical altercation. Although the complainant testified that the appellant pulled her partway into a vehicle, at least one door of the vehicle remained open and the vehicle traveled only a very short distance before stopping again within a matter of mere seconds. The evidence established only that the appellant restrained the complainant, without the requisite “secreting or holding [her] in a place where [she] is not likely to be found” (Penal Law § 135.00[2][a]). Matter of Marco F., 2025 NY Slip Op 01365, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a clear explanation of the elements of “kidnapping.” Briefly restraining a person while unsuccessfully trying to pull that person into a vehicle is not enough.

 

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WHERE THE ESSENCE OF A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE ACTION IS THE FAILURE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE PLAINTIFF’S CONDITION, THE CRITERIA FOR A “LACK OF INFORMED CONSENT” CAUSE OF ACTION ARE NOT MET (SECOOND DEPT

The Second Department, reversing (modifying) Supreme Court in this medical malpractice action, determined the “lack of informed consent” cause of action should have been dismissed because the gravamen of the the allegations was the failure to evaluate the seriousness of plaintiff’s condition:

To establish a cause of action to recover damages for medical malpractice based on lack of informed consent, “a plaintiff must prove (1) that the person providing the professional treatment failed to disclose alternatives thereto and failed to inform the patient of reasonably foreseeable risks associated with the treatment, and the alternatives, that a reasonable medical practitioner would have disclosed in the same circumstances, (2) that a reasonably prudent patient in the same position would not have undergone the treatment if he or she had been fully informed, and (3) that the lack of informed consent is a proximate cause of the injury” … . “The third element is construed to mean that the actual procedure performed for which there was no informed consent must have been a proximate cause of the injury” … . However, where, as here, the gravamen of a plaintiff’s allegations are essentially that, due to their negligence, the defendants failed to evaluate the seriousness of the patient’s condition, “‘with the result that affirmative treatment was not sought in a timely manner,'” a plaintiff fails to state cause of action based on lack of informed consent … . Danziger v Mayer, 2025 NY Slip Op 01354, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a clear explanation of the nature and elements of a “lack of informed consent” cause of action in a med mal case.​

 

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RECORDING THE DEED IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE TRANSFER OF TITLE; THEREFORE A FORGED SIGNATURE ON THE TRANSFER DOCUMENT DOES NOT RENDER THE DEED VOID (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department noted that a forged signature on the transfer document necessary to record a deed would not render the deed void:

“A deed that is forged is a legal nullity, which conveys nothing, and a mortgage based on such a deed is likewise invalid” … . A deed that is “acquired by fraudulent means,” however, is merely voidable … . A “voidable deed, ‘until set aside, . . . has the effect of transferring the title to the fraudulent grantee, and . . . being thus clothed with all the evidences of good title, may incumber the property to a party who becomes a purchaser in good faith'” … .

… [T]he plaintiff claims that [the grantor’s] signature on an RP-5217-NYC transfer document necessary to record the deed was forged. However, “recording is not required in order to transfer title to real property” … . “In order to transfer title, an executed deed must be delivered to and accepted by the grantee” … . Consequently, title to the property was transferred to [the grantee] upon delivery to and acceptance of the executed deed by [the grantee], and any forged signature on the RP-5217-NYC transfer document necessary to record the deed would not affect the validity of the transfer of title or of the subsequent mortgage … . Canecchia v Richmond Assoc. NY, LLC, 2025 NY Slip Op 01341, Second Dept 3-12-25

Practice Point: Title is transferred by delivery and acceptance of an executed deed. Recording the deed is not a necessary component of the transfer of title.

 

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THERE WERE QUESTIONS OF FACT OF WHETHER THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD PLAINTIFF UNDERSTOOD AND ASSUMED THE RISKS OF PARTICIPATING IN A YOUTH HOCKEY CLINIC; THE COACH, WHILE SKATING BACKWARDS, FELL ON THE CHILD; DEFENDANT’S CROSS-MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN GRANTED (SECOND DEPT). ​

The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant town (Oyster Bay), which offered a youth hockey clinic, was not entitled to summary judgment on the ground the four-year-old plaintiff assumed the risk of injury. Defendant coach (Marlow) was skating backwards when he fell on the four-year-old plaintiff:

The [assumption of the risk] “doctrine applies where a consenting participant in sporting and amusement activities ‘is aware of the risks; has an appreciation of the nature of the risks; and voluntarily assumes the risks'” … . “If the risks of the activity are fully comprehended or perfectly obvious, plaintiff has consented to them and defendant has performed its duty” … . Risks that are “commonly encountered” or “inherent” in a sport, as well as risks “involving less than optimal conditions,” are risks tha participants have accepted and are encompassed by the assumption of risk doctrine … . “It is not necessary . . . that the injured plaintiff have foreseen the exact manner in which his or her injury occurred, so long as he or she is aware of the potential for injury of the mechanism from which the injury results” … . Awareness of risk is to be assessed against the background of the skill and experience of the particular plaintiff … .

Given the evidence submitted in support of the Town defendants’ cross-motion, including the infant plaintiff’s age and scant information concerning the infant plaintiff’s skill and experience level with ice hockey, there were triable issues of fact as to whether the infant plaintiff fully appreciated the risks involved in terms of the activity he was engaged in so as to find he assumed the risk of his injuries under the facts of this case … . H.B. v Town of Oyster Bay, 2025 NY Slip Op 01203, Second Dept 3-5-25

Practice Point: Sometimes the application of a legal doctrine seems absurd. Can a four-year-old participant in a hockey clinic appreciate the risk of being injured by a coach who skates backwards and falls on him?

 

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DEFENDANT’S FOR-CAUSE CHALLENGE TO A JUROR SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED; NEW TRIAL ORDERED (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing defendant’s conviction and ordering a new trial, determined defendant’s for-cause challenge to a prospective juror should have been granted:

… Supreme Court should have granted the defendant’s for-cause challenge to a prospective juror who evinced a state of mind that was likely to preclude the prospective juror from rendering an impartial verdict based on the evidence … . “[A] prospective juror whose statements raise a serious doubt regarding the ability to be impartial must be excused unless the juror states unequivocally on the record that he or she can be fair and impartial” … . Here, during voir dire, the prospective juror stated that his mother-in-law was a victim of sexual assault and raised his hand when defense counsel asked if any potential jurors felt that this was not the “right case” for them since the sexual assault allegations in this case might make them “too emotional” and might be something they “c[ould not] handle.” Under the circumstances, the prospective juror’s statements raised a serious doubt regarding his ability to be impartial, and the court failed to elicit an unequivocal assurance on the record that the prospective juror could render a fair and impartial verdict based on the evidence … . Since the defendant exhausted his peremptory challenges, the denial of his for-cause challenge constitutes reversible error … . People v Faustin, 2025 NY Slip Op 01231, Second Dept 3-5-25

Practice Point: The prospective juror’s statements raised serious doubts about his ability to be impartial in this sexual-offense case. Defendant’s for-cause challenge to the prospective juror should have been granted.​

 

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