Weber v. Kowalski

85 Misc. 2d 349, 376 N.Y.S.2d 996, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3308
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 11, 1975
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 85 Misc. 2d 349 (Weber v. Kowalski) 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
Weber v. Kowalski, 85 Misc. 2d 349, 376 N.Y.S.2d 996, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3308 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1975).

Opinion

Joseph F. Gagliardi, J.

THE FACTS

On July 15, 1972, on a road in Putnam County, David Weber, his wife and two infant children were traveling in his automobile when it collided with one driven by defendant. Thereafter, on January 5, 1974, Mr. Weber and his wife instituted a lawsuit against defendant in the Dutchess County Supreme Court and, subsequently, on February 23, 1975, Mr. Weber, as guardian ad litem on behalf of his two infant children and in his individual capacity, commenced another lawsuit against defendant in the same court. Both actions were consolidated by order of the court. A note of issue and statement of readiness were filed and application for a general preference made on unstated grounds. The pleadings, bills of particulars, and medical documents were submitted. On October 23, 1975, the application was denied by another Justice of this court, who directed that the consolidated action be transferred to the Dutchess County County Court upon the expiration of 90 days unless plaintiffs renewed the application. Plaintiffs have, in effect, so moved.

The complaints reveal that plaintiffs are seeking monetary recompense for personal injuries allegedly sustained in the automobile accident; five causes of action are asserted wherein Mrs. Weber asks for $50,000, the infant children $25,000 each (one cause of action), Mr. Weber seeks a total of $35,000 for loss of services (two causes of action), and requests $1,500 property damage. The note of issue contains a demand for a jury trial. The answers consist of general denials. The bills of particulars claim permanent injury to Mrs. Weber and the children. Of the medical documents submitted, only two relate to the children, the emergency room records of the Julia L. Butterfield Memorial Hospital which conclude that the infant Webers were "covered with small flecks of glass, but no significant lacerations”, and "no significant injury detected at this time”. The bill of particulars submitted in the adult Webers’ action reveals the following claims for special damages: physician services $196; hospital bills $116; six months’ [352]*352loss of earnings $2,400; eyeglasses $51; property damage $1,-500. The bill of particulars in the infant Webers’ action incorporates these claims for special damage by reference.

The emergency room record for Mrs. Weber contains a diagnosis of "emotional distress”. She was admitted overnight and discharged the following day. Five physician letters are annexed regarding Mrs. Weber’s claims of injury. Two letters from Dr. Tulgan, dated 1972, indicate lack of severe injury, and conclude with the finding of "essentially no disability”. Dr. Dahl finds that Mrs. Weber did not suffer an ocular disability. Dr. Brannan notes that he "cannot support a claim for [Mrs. Weber’s] disability”. Dr. Goodman’s letter of January, 1974 adds nothing.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND AND CLAIMS

As noted, another Justice denied the application for a general preference and directed the transfer of these actions to County Court upon the expiration of 90 days after the date of his decision. Plaintiffs move for leave to reargue said denial alleging inter alia jurisdictional problems since defendant is a nonresident of Dutchess County. There was (as presently) no opposition to the original application and, therefore, the motion is properly before me (CPLR 2221).

Plaintiffs advance several arguments to support the grant of their preference: (1) the amounts of the claims and the number of plaintiffs involved mandate that the cases be heard in the Supreme Court; (2) lack of jurisdiction over the person of the defendant; (3) denial of due process and deprivation of plaintiffs’ right to a jury trial upon the court’s predetermination of the potential amount in controversy; (4) violation of the equal protection clause since Dutchess County has not been included in Appellate Division orders pursuant to CPLR 325 (subd [d]) which would authorize the County Court to grant judgment beyond its monetary limitation; and (5) denial of access to the forum of one’s choice upon the transfer of the actions to another court.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND — PRESENT POLICY

The Supreme Court of the State of New York has been traced back to the Supreme Court of the Colony of New York, the courts of the King’s Bench, Common Pleas and Exchequer in England (Matter of Steinway, 159 NY 250; Decker v Canz[353]*353overi, 256 App Div 68; Temporary State Comm on 1967 Constitutional Convention, Rep No. 12, Judiciary, p 143 [hereinafter cited as Comm Report]). In 1846, the Supreme Court, as we now know it, was formed by the consolidation of the pre-existing Supreme Court and a consolidation of the offices of Circuit Judge and Chancery Judge (id., p 141). It is a Statewide court of unlimited jurisdiction over causes of action known at common law or thereafter created, except that as to new causes of action statutorily created other courts may be granted concurrent jurisdiction (NY Const, art VI, § 7, subds [a], [c]; Judiciary Law, § 140-b; Matter of Seitz v Drogheo, 21 NY2d 181; Thrasher v United States Liab. Ins. Co., 19 NY2d 159).

The County Court goes back to the earlier Court of Common Pleas, and is first called the County Court in this State’s 1821 Constitution (Comm Report, p 176). In the civil area, and insofar as is pertinent here, the County Court is a court of limited jurisdiction (Gilbert v New York, 111 NY 544) exercising concurrent jurisdiction with that of the Supreme Court in tort cases where the damages claimed do not exceed $6,000, or, as in Dutchess County, $10,000 (NY Const, art VI, § 11, subd [a]; Judiciary Law, § 190, subds [3], [5]).

Since the two courts exercise concurrent jurisdiction over many matters the Supreme Court has, over the years, exercised judicial restraint, and ordinarily declined to act in those cases that could have been brought in the County Court (Comm Report, pp 145-146). Indeed, the writers of the 1967 report on the Judiciary for the Constitutional Convention noted (Comm Report, p 146):

"Statutory provisions and judicial rules are designed to encourage actions to be brought in the inferior courts if the action is within their jurisdiction. * * *

"In the Supreme Court for New York County, the practice has developed of placing personal injury claims that cannot be expected to bring recovery of at least $10,000 on a non-preferred calendar. No, or virtually no, cases from this calendar have ever been tried in the Supreme Court since this practice was instituted in 1949. This calendar was established to encourage litigants voluntarily to transfer their cases to inferior courts.”

Throughout the history of this State, court delay has been a problem and diverse legislation was enacted from time to time, according preferences in trial to certain types of cases [354]*354(Plachte v Bancroft, 3 AD2d 437, 438-439). These legislative efforts are recorded at length in Morse v Press Pub. Co. (71 App Div 351) and reflect an occurrence that prevailed in virtually every State of the union (88 CJS, Trial, §§ 31, 33; 75 Am Jur 2d, Trial, § 25). However, it was generally recognized that the power to control court calendars was vested in the courts, and an act which mandated the precise day of trial for a preferred matter was declared unconstitutional (Riglander v Star Co., 98 App Div 101, affd 181 NY 531). Thus, in Kriger v Holland Furnace Co.

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Bluebook (online)
85 Misc. 2d 349, 376 N.Y.S.2d 996, 1975 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 3308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weber-v-kowalski-nysupct-1975.