Osarczuk v. Associated Univs., Inc.

Opinion

Osarczuk v Associated Univs., Inc.

2026 NY Slip Op 04868

August 5, 2026

Appellate Division, Second Department

Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.

This decision is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.

Barbara Osarczuk, etc., et al., plaintiffs, Anthony Agresti, et al., appellants,

v

Associated Universities, Incorporated, etc., respondent.

Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department

Decided on August 5, 2026

2022-02398, (Index No. 2836/96)

Hector D. Lasalle, P.J.

Helen Voutsinas

Laurence L. Love

Phillip Hom, JJ.

Glynn Mercep Purcell and Morrison, LLP (Lippes & Lippes, Buffalo, NY [Richard Lippes and Joshua Lippes], of counsel), for appellants.

Nixon Peabody LLP, Albany, NY (Daniel J. Hurteau and Zachary C. Osinski of counsel), for respondent.

[*1]

DECISION & ORDER

In an action, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries and injury to property, the plaintiffs Anthony Agresti, Barbara Agresti, Patricia Barnes, Gavin Burke, Timothy Callaghan, Judi Callaghan, John Cascione, Diane Cascione, John Delvecchio, Renate Delvecchio, Natalie DiCrescento, Steve Frost, Margaret Frost, Ellen Gabriel, Frederick Grau, Janet Grau, Cecilia Gravano, Steve Koundourakis, Johanna Koundourakis, Marc Levine, Randee Nadler, Robert Repetti, Leona Repetti, Charles San Filippo, Debora San Filippo, James Scuttina, and Marilyn Williams appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Joseph Farneti, J.), dated March 17, 2022. The order granted the defendant's 18 separate unopposed motions for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted by each of those plaintiffs.

ORDERED that the appeal is dismissed, with costs.

The defendant, Associated Universities, Incorporated, operated the Brookhaven National Laboratory for approximately 50 years, from 1947 until 1998. This action was commenced in 1996, inter alia, to recover damages for personal injuries and injury to property allegedly resulting from the defendant's emission of hazardous and toxic substances. In 2021, the defendant made 18 separate motions for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted by the plaintiffs Anthony Agresti and Barbara Agresti, the plaintiff Patricia Barnes, the plaintiff Gavin Burke, the plaintiffs Timothy Callaghan and Judi Callaghan, the plaintiffs John Cascione and Diane Cascione, the plaintiffs John Delvecchio and Renate Delvecchio, the plaintiff Natalie DiCrescento, the plaintiffs Steve Frost and Margaret Frost, the plaintiff Ellen Gabriel, the plaintiffs Frederick Grau and Janet Grau, the plaintiff Cecilia Gravano, the plaintiffs Steve Koundourakis and Johanna Koundourakis, the plaintiff Marc Levine, the plaintiff Randee Nadler, the plaintiffs Robert Repetti and Leona Repetti, the plaintiffs Charles San Filippo and Debora San Filippo, the plaintiff James Scuttina, and the plaintiff Marilyn Williams (hereinafter collectively the appellants). In an order dated March 17, 2022, the Supreme Court granted the 18 separate unopposed motions. This appeal ensued.

No appeal lies from an order entered upon the default of the appealing party (see[*2]CPLR 5511; Ernest v St. Juste, 240 AD3d 667, 668; U.S. Bank N.A. v Fuller-Watson, 197 AD3d 764, 766). Here, because the order dated March 17, 2022, was entered upon the appellants' default in opposing the defendant's motions for summary judgment, the appeal must be dismissed (see CPLR 5511; Ernest v St. Juste, 240 AD3d 667, 668; Rodriguez-Dominguez v Blackstone Contrs., LLC, 191 AD3d 817, 817).

LASALLE, P.J., VOUTSINAS, LOVE and HOM, JJ., concur.

ENTER:

Darrell M. Joseph

Clerk of the Court