Bryan v. Sanchez

2025 NY Slip Op 32112(U)

Opinion

Bryan v Sanchez

2025 NY Slip Op 32112(U)

June 10, 2025

Supreme Court, Kings County Docket Number: Index No. 514553/2023 Judge: Anne J. Swern

Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/13/2025 10:36 AM INDEX NO. 514553/2023 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 42 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/13/2025

At anIAS Trial Term, Part 75 ofthe Supreme Court of the State of New York, Kings County, at·the Courthouse located at 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NewYC>rk on the 10th chiy of June 2025 PRESENT : HON. ANNE J. SWERN, lS.C.

BUMEE BRYAN, DECISION & ORDER Index No.: 514553/2.023

Plaintiff,

CalendarNo.: 14

-against-

Motion Seq.: 001

0DILBER MARTINEZ SANCHEZ AND E & S MAINTENA NCE US, INC.,

. Defendants.

Recitation ofthefollowi ng papers asrequired by CPLR 2219(a):

Papers

Numbered

Notice of Motion, Affirmation, Affidavits. and Exhibits (NYSCEF 24-36)........................................................ l, 2 Affinnation and Exhibits in Opposition (NYSCEF 37~39) ................................... 3 Reply Affirmation and Exhibits (NYSC:EF 40~41); ............ ;........ ;, ....................... .4

Upon the foregoing papers and after oral argument, the decision and order of the Court is as follows;·

This is an action for personal injuries arising out of a motor vehicle accident on 5/23/2022 at the intersection of Tompkins Avenue and KosciuszkC> Street'. Plaintiffhas moved for summary judgment against defendants on the issue of liability and dismissing defendant's affirmative defenses relating thereto. In support of the motion, plaintiffsubm its, inter alia, the parties' deposition testimony and a dash camera video (NYSCEF 31, 32, 24, 3 6). The video demonstrates that defendant failed tcr yield or stop at the stop sign on Kosciuszko Streefbefore

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ei1tering·the intersection, &triking plaintiff's vehide--on Tompkins Avenue in violation-ofVTL .§ 1142 [a].

DefeI1dant argues that summary judgmentis inappropriate because ajury must determine -the parties' credibility. Ho.we:ve:r,.defo11diµit_concedes_ that he.failed to see plaiµtiff's vehicle before .proceeding through the stop sign (NYSCEF DOC. -32, p.26, lines 17-22; DOC. .37, if4);

When deciding a sllinntary judgment rnotiort,the Court's role is solely to identify the.

existence..-cif triable' issues, .and not.to determine the 1nerits .of any such issues {Vega v Restan·i C.ons.tru.ction Corp., 18 NY~d 499; 505 (2012]) or the credibility of the movant's version of events (see Xiang Fu He v Troon Management, l11c., 34 NY3d 167, 175 [2019] [internal citatforts omitted]). The Court views the evidence in the light .most favorable to the nomnoving partyt

affording .them.the benefit ofaH-r~asonable inferenc.~sthat .c~ be drawn frotn the evidence (~ee· Newt v Shop -& Stop, Inc., 65 NY2d 625, 626 [1985]). The motion should IJe denied where th~

facts-are in dispute, where different. inferences may be-drawn from ·the-eviclence, or wher:e the credibility of the •witnesses is in ·question (see Cameron v City ofLong Beach, 297A02d 773, 774 [2dDept. 20021). ). Onceplaintiff establishesaprim a/acie entitlement to summary judgment,. "the h:urden shifts to the·ltorimoying:party to produce evidentiary proof in admissible· fonn sufficientto establish the ex1stence··of:material issues of fact that require- a trial for resolution" (Giuffrida v Citibank, 100 NY2d 72, 81 [2003]. and Alvarez v. PrQspect Hospital, 68 NY2d324}.

A yiolation ofthe Vehicle and Traffic Law constitutes negligence per se (Siezeme v Levy, 208.AD3d 809,810 [2nd Dept 2022]). However, a party with the right ofway may be h¢ld respop.sible for the ac~jdent if he OJ," she did not use reasonabie c·are to avoid the accident eve~

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though proceeding with the right-of:.way (Jeong Sook Lee-Son v Doe, 170 AD3d 973; -975 [2d Dept. 2019]).

The video, together with defendant's admissfop. that he fajled to see plaintiff's vehicle before proceeding throug_h intersection,. establishes .apr.ima far::ie entitlemep.t to su:inmary judgmen,t (Sieze_me v-Levy,; 208 AD3d 8-1 0; Rodriguezv City ofNew Yor~ 3_1 NY3d 312 [2018]) .. Plaintiff has established tbatd¢fen.dmit_"was negligent_ as a matter of law-for the accidentwithout any t1egligence .on the part of plaintiffcontributing_thereto. The vi~eo demonstrates tha:t defendant never stopped at the sign before entering the intersection. D~fendant failed to demonstrate the existence ofa question of facttQ warrant the <:lenfal of summaryjudgm.ent on the issue ofth:eir negligence_ and the dismissal of their second, sixth and eight a_fl,inn11tive defenses (Giµffrida v Cttihank, l 00 NY2d 81 and Alvarez v. Prospect Hospital, 68 NY2d 324; CPLR §

The Co-urt ~ conside;:red the parties~remaining ·arguments. and- finds .same to be without merit.

.Accordingly; .ii is-hereby ORDERED that plaintiff's motion for an order of summary judgment on the issue of liabiHty and defendants~ negligence is gratited, ai:td it is-further ORDERED "that defendants'' second, sixth ap.d eighth· affirmative defenses: are dismissed, .and it is further

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FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 06/13/2025 10:36 AM INDEX NO. 514553/2023 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 42 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 06/13/2025

ORDERED that this action shall proceed to trial on damages only.

This constitutes the decision and order ofthe Court.

ENTER:

For Clerks use only: Hon. Anne . Swern, J.S.C. MG _ _ Dated: 6/10/2025

MD _ _ Motion seq.# _ _ __

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