Atlantic Mutual Insurance v. State

80 Misc. 2d 454, 363 N.Y.S.2d 186, 1974 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1907
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedJune 14, 1974
DocketClaim No. 57396
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 80 Misc. 2d 454 (Atlantic Mutual Insurance v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Atlantic Mutual Insurance v. State, 80 Misc. 2d 454, 363 N.Y.S.2d 186, 1974 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1907 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1974).

Opinion

Dorothea E. Donaldson, J.

At trial, the parties stipulated that the only issue to be tried was that of the liability of the defendant, and in the event liability was found, the claim would be restored to the trial calendar for proof of damages.

Mrs. Laura Smith, the operator of a school bus for the Town of 'Clarkstown Central School District No. 1, sustained injury on March 1-6,1971. She returned to work and received her wages until her complaints were diagnosed as fractured vertebrae. Based thereon, workmen’s compensation benefits were paid to her commencing May 27,1971 in accordance with the provisions of the standard, workmen’s compensation policy carried by the Town of Clarkstown ¡Central School District No. 1 with the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company for the year September 1, 1970 to September 1, 1971. The notice of intention to file claim submitted by the workmen’s compensation carrier was received and filed by the Clerk of the Court of Claims on June 11, 1971. Thereafter, on March 15,1972, Mrs. Smith moved in the 'Court of Claims .for an order permitting her to file a late claim against the State of New York in accordance with the provisions of section 10 of the 'Court of Claims Act; by order filed May 12, 1972, the motion was denied stating, in part, that “ Claimant’s excuse for failure to file under Section 10, paragraph 3, of the Court of Claims Act was not reasonable under the circumstances.” Appeal from this order was taken to the Appellate Division, Third Department, where motion to dismiss the appeal was granted by default without costs on September 21, 1972. The compensation carrier, in a letter dated March 1, 1972, advised Mrs. Smith’s attorney to file a late notice of claim on behalf of his client within 90 days. By letter dated September 20, 1972, Mrs. Smith’s attorney was contacted by claimant to determine the outcome of the motion and the order predicated thereon. Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company then advised Mrs. Smith by letter dated January 26,1973 that she could proceed to sue in her own name, was directed to initiate an action within the following 30 ¡days, and if she failed to do so, it, as carrier, would become subrogated to her rights among which would be the right to commence an action against the responsible third party. On March 7,1973, the company filed claim with the Clerk of the Court of Claims, within the two-year statutory time limitation, as alleged subrogee of Mrs. Smith’s rights provided by the provisions of section 29 of the Workmen’s Compensation Law.

[456]*456_ The .State maintained, first, since Mrs. Smith, on June. 11,1971,’ had neither assigned her claim nor acquiesced nor consented, that the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company had ño status and no basis to file a notice of intention to file claim, and,, second, that when Mrs. iSmith did file her claim against the State, the statutory period .within which to file had expired.

On the morning of March '16, 1971, a clear day with good visibility, at about 8:30 in the morning, three cars — a privately owned and operated station wagon, a car owned by the State Department of Transportation and a yellow school bus station wagon owned by the Town of Olarkstown 'Central School District No. 1 — sustained damage at the "T” intersection of Demarest Avenue with Main Street in NewCity. Main Street is a two-láne highway, northbound and .southbound; Demarest' Avenue is- an east-west two-lane roadway terminating at Main Street.

At trial, the partie's stipulated that a State owned arid operated automobile was" one of the motor vehicles involved, the driver of which was a 'State employee in* the course of- his employment.

Laura Smith,- thé chauffeur of the school bus, testified that she had completed her moniing run and was returning to the garage situated about two'miles distant on Parrot Road-; that she was proceeding southerly on Main Street at 15 miles, per hour, on a slight upgrade as she^ approached the Demarest Avenue intersection ; that she saw both the State vehicle traveling westerly on Demarest Avenue and the station wagon on Main Street approaching northbound; that she did not attempt to pull, to the,curb or slow her speed; that she wap aware that,the Demaiest intersection had a " stop ” sign and believed that phe had thé right of way; that the State car strück her station wagon with a heavy impact on thé driver’s side; that she heard no ’horn and saw no flashing indicator signals; that she applied her brakes seconds befo-fe the impact; and -that her 'bus stopped at the.point of impact while the State car kept moving and struck the other. station wagon.

- The driver of the 1970 Town and Country .station wagon, Mrs. Margaret H. Costanzo, testified that she had left her children at a school and was proceeding northerly on Main. Street, to a bakery when she saw the school bus coming southbound ¡as well as the State car traveling westerly on Demarest Avenue; that her speed was about 25 miles per hour ; that she saw the State vehicle pass, the stop sign; that she braked her car and came to a stop; that she saw the State Ford automobile strike the school bus; that the driver of the State car continued moving [457]*457in a left turn southerly; that the Ford struck her car four times on the entire left side; that"she heard no horn.or- sounds; that she saw no change in the speed of the school hus;' that her car was at a complete stop when it was struck by the State car; and that as far as she knew, the State .car had continued its.progress to the post office,

• Claimant’s two witnesses; an employee of the Clarkstown Central iSchool District, Anthony DiColandréa, and an employee of the Aldorf Realty Oorp., Albert Dorfman, who had given his name to the police as a witness, supported the testimony of Mrs. ¡Smith and Mrs. Costanzo.

Harvey L. Crane, a State employee, who was the- driver of á black Ford motor car owned by the St^te Department of Transportation, testified that, 'on the d^y in question, he was proceeding from the Department of Transportation headquarters on Ridge Road in New City to the post office on Mam Street to pick up the matil; that he travelled west on Deimarest Ayenué; that he came to the “ T ” intersection, proceeding at 10 miles, pér hour; that he stopped even with the stop sign; that he looked to the right and-to- the left; that.he saw no traffic at his left; . that he had a clear view to the north at his right; that he did not notice the school van until after the collision; that he had completed half of the left turn to the south when he saw the school bus proceeding rapidly; that he then accelerated his .own. car; that the. State vehicle made moderate contact with the bus and then. struck the northbound station wagon; after the collision, he pulled the Ford to the curb to get out of the line of traffic, ,radioed his headquarters and asked the assistant engineer to come; and that the right, front and left front of the Ford oar were damaged.

Both roadways wére narrow streets. The. intersection was not controlled by traffic lights, but by a posted standard “ stop.’’ sign. The Vehicle and Traffic Law, of the State of New; York specifically- states the obligations' of motorists. Section 1141 is applicable "when7 the driver of a motor vehicle intends to turn to the left, and indicates that the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction has the. right of way. "Where an intersection is controlled by a stop sign," section 1142 directs that the driver of the vehicle approaching the sign shall yield the right , of way to vehieles^on the highway approaching close to the intersection.

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Related

Atlantic Mutual Insurance v. State
80 Misc. 2d 460 (New York State Court of Claims, 1975)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
80 Misc. 2d 454, 363 N.Y.S.2d 186, 1974 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1907, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/atlantic-mutual-insurance-v-state-nyclaimsct-1974.