Reyes v. Sanchez-Pena

191 Misc. 2d 600, 742 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2002 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 459
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedApril 30, 2002
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 191 Misc. 2d 600 (Reyes v. Sanchez-Pena) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reyes v. Sanchez-Pena, 191 Misc. 2d 600, 742 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2002 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 459 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Paul A. Victor, J.

Defendant Gregory Surgical Services, LLC (hereinafter Gregory Surgical) moves to dismiss the complaint for lack of personal jurisdiction pursuant to CPLR 302 and 3211.

Facts and Procedural History

In this medical malpractice action, the plaintiff alleges that she sustained severe and permanent injuries including but not limited to polyradiculopathy, spinal stenosis and severed nerves resulting in pain and weakness in her right shoulder, arm and hand as a result of negligent treatment for cervico-thoracic disc disease. She claims, among other things, that these medical errors included acts of omission (failing to order or perform diagnostic tests), and acts of commission (improper administration of cervical facet joint steroid injections). Plaintiff asserts that the injections were negligently administered by defendants Drs. Ladislav Habina and Jose R. Sanchez-Pena at the offices of defendant Gregory Surgical in New Jersey. According to the plaintiff, she was initially treated by Dr. Sanchez-Pena at the Manhattan office of defendant Comprehensive Medical Evaluations, P.C. (Comprehensive Medical) beginning in October 1997. The defendant Dr. Sanchez-Pena, who is the principal of Comprehensive Medical, then referred plaintiff for treatment at the New Jersey offices of Gregory Surgical, and personally participated in the administration of the injections in the New Jersey office. Dr. Sanchez-Pena’s office also arranged for transportation to be provided to plaintiff from her home in New York to Gregory Surgical in New Jersey on at least two occasions. Defendant Gregory Surgical admits in an affidavit by its administrative director that it employs drivers (residents of New Jersey) who regularly transport patients from New York to its New Jersey facility, without charge to the patient, in vehicles leased by an entity known as Comprehensive Rehabilitation of New Jersey, whose relationship to Gregory Surgical and the other defendants in this case is unclear. The certificate of formation of Gregory Surgical, filed with the Secretary of State of New [602]*602Jersey on June 6, 1997, reflects that it was filed by defendant Dr. Sanchez-Pena, who is also the president of Gregory Surgical.

Defendant Gregory Surgical moves pursuant to CPLR 302 and 3211 to dismiss the complaint on the ground that the court lacks personal jurisdiction over it. Plaintiff contends, on the other hand, that Gregory Surgical is subject to “long-arm” jurisdiction, both under CPLR 302 (a) (1) and (3).

Law Pertaining to Motions to Dismiss

To establish jurisdiction under CPLR 302 (a) (3), plaintiff has the burden of showing that facts “may exist” to establish commission of a tortious act by defendant. (Fantis Foods v Standard Importing Co., 49 NY2d 317, 325 [1980].) On a motion to dismiss based on lack of jurisdiction under the “long-arm” statute, the plaintiff has the burden of proving a basis for the exercise of in personam jurisdiction, but need not plead the jurisdictional allegations. (Ziperman v Frontier Hotel of Las Vegas, 50 AD2d 581 [2d Dept 1975]; Fishman v Pocono Ski Rental, 82 AD2d 906, 907 [2d Dept 1981]; Rung v United States Fid. & Guar. Co., 139 AD2d 914 [4th Dept 1988].) If required, the court may allow discovery (Peterson v Spartan Indus., 33 NY2d 463, 467 [1974] [plaintiff made “sufficient start” indicating that basis of jurisdiction was “not frivolous”]), and take evidence on the issue, keeping in mind that the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. (Armouth Intl. v Haband Co., 277 AD2d 189, 190 [2d Dept 2000]; Hoag v Chancellor, Inc., 246 AD2d 224, 228 [1st Dept 1998].)

Issues Presented

Has plaintiff provided sufficient proof to establish personal jurisdiction over defendant Gregory Surgical, a nondomiciliary, under any of the “long-arm” provisions of CPLR 302?1 In that regard, has plaintiff established:

[603]*603“A. That in accordance with CPLR 302 (a) (3) (i) and (ii), the defendant Gregory Surgical ‘committed a tortious act without [New York] State causing injury to [plaintiff] within [New York State]’ and that the defendant either:
“1. Regularly did or solicited business in New York; or
“2. Engaged in any other persistent course of conduct in New York; or
“3. Derived substantial revenue from services rendered in New York; or

Discussion

A. Commission of Tortious Act Outside New York — CPLR 302 (a) (3) Causing Injury Within New York

For jurisdiction to exist under CPLR 302 (a) (3), the commission of a tortious act outside the state must, among other things, result in “causing injury to person or property within the state * * * .” The parties here do not even present the “situs of injury” as a contested issue despite the fact that there is a substantial body of case law which indicates that in a tort action, the injury location for section 302 (a) (3) long-arm jurisdictional purposes is the situs of the originating and precipitating tort, and not the place in which “resultant” damage occurs. (Carte v Parkoff, 152 AD2d 615 [2d Dept 1989]; Hermann v Sharon Hosp., 135 AD2d 682 [2d Dept 1987]; Kramer v Hotel Los Monteros, 57 AD2d 756 [1st Dept 1977]; see also, Ingraham v Carroll, 90 NY2d 592, 604 [1997] [dissenting op].) It is apparent, however, from the circumstances presented in the case at bar, as well as from the manner in which this “situs of injury” issue was treated by the Court of Appeals in Ingraham (supra), that the issue should not be ignored by this court.

[604]*604In Ingraham, the Court of Appeals was presented with this jurisdictional issue in a wrongful death action arising out of malpractice allegedly committed by a defendant physician, who examined plaintiff (a New York resident) in Vermont following a referral from her New York physicians. As stated by the Court, “[t]he gravamen of [plaintiff’s] complaint against [defendant] is that he negligently failed to recognize the serious nature of his wife’s condition at an early stage and, as a result, made recommendations to her primary physicians against procedures that would have led to an early diagnosis of the cancer while it was still in a treatable stage” (90 NY2d, supra at 595). Clearly these alleged tortious acts of omission and commission (i.e., failure to make diagnosis and improper recommendations) occurred in Vermont; and it was undisputed that the defendant physician resided and practiced only in Vermont, and had not solicited business in New York. Although all the requirements under section 302 (a) (3), including the injury situs issue, were properly preserved for review upon appeal, it is significant to note that the Court of Appeals purposely curtailed the scope of its review by rendering the “situs of injury” issue academic.2 The majority of the Court expressly “[a]ssum[ed], without deciding, that the alleged tortious conduct in Vermont caused injury within New York” (90 NY2d, supra

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
191 Misc. 2d 600, 742 N.Y.S.2d 513, 2002 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 459, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reyes-v-sanchez-pena-nysupct-2002.