Lexington Acupuncture, P.C. v State Farm Ins. Co. (2007 NY Slip Op 51758(U))

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

APPELLATE TERM: 2nd and 11th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Robin S. Garson, J.), entered March 23, 2006. The order denied defendant’s unopposed motion, pursuant to CPLR 3126, seeking an order striking the complaint due to plaintiff’s failure to provide discovery or, in the alternative, compelling plaintiff to provide discovery.

Order reversed without costs and defendant’s motion to strike plaintiff’s complaint granted.

Plaintiff commenced the instant action to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits. After issue was joined, defendant served various discovery demands. Subsequently, defendant moved to strike plaintiff’s complaint pursuant to CPLR 3126
(3) due to plaintiff’s inadequate response to defendant’s discovery demands, its failure to amend or supplement the incomplete and/or inadequate responses which defendant rejected and its failure to offer any response to defendant’s supplemental interrogatories or, in the alternative, for an order compelling plaintiff to comply with the discovery demands. Although plaintiff failed to oppose the motion, the court nevertheless denied defendant’s motion and this appeal by defendant ensued.

Defendant’s motion papers were sufficient to demonstrate that plaintiff may be ineligible to receive reimbursement for no-fault benefits (see State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v Mallela, 4 NY3d 313 [2005]) and that the discovery sought was material and necessary to defendant’s defense of this action (CPLR 3101; see also Crossbay Acupuncture, P.C. v State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 15 Misc 3d 110 [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists 2007]; Midwood Acupuncture, P.C. v State Farm Ins. Co., 14 Misc 3d 131[A], 2007 NY Slip Op 50052[U] [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists]; North Acupuncture, P.C. v State Farm Ins. Co., 14 Misc 3d 130[A], 2006 NY Slip Op 52523[U] [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists]; North Acupuncture, P.C. v State Farm Ins. [*2]Co., 14 Misc 3d 129[A], 2006 NY Slip Op 52512[U] [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists]; First Help Acupuncture P.C. v State Farm Ins. Co., 12 Misc 3d 130[A], 2006 NY Slip Op 51043[U] [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists]). “Although dismissing a complaint pursuant to CPLR 3126 is a drastic remedy, it is warranted where a party’s conduct is shown to be willful, contumacious, or in bad faith (see Beneficial Mtge. Corp. v Lawrence, 5 AD3d 339 [2004], lv denied 3 NY3d 602 [2004]; Frias v Fortini, 240 AD2d 467 [1997])” (Rowell v Joyce, 10 AD3d 601, 601 [2004]). In this case, the willful and contumacious character of plaintiff’s conduct can be inferred from its utterly inadequate response to defendant’s discovery demands, its failure to supplement or amend its responses after they were rejected by defendant, its failure to offer any response to defendant’s supplemental interrogatories and its failure to submit written opposition to defendant’s motion to strike the complaint (see Devito v J & J Towing, Inc., 17 AD3d 624 [2005]; Rowell v Joyce, 10 AD3d 601, supra). Consequently, under these circumstances, defendant’s motion to strike the complaint pursuant to CPLR 3126 (3) should have been granted.

Pesce, P.J., Rios and Belen, JJ., concur.
Decision Date: September 14, 2007