Bivona v. Danna & Assocs., P.C.

• Decision Date: 24 December 2014
• Docket Number: 2013-04113
• Parties: Chris BIVONA, et al., respondents, v. DANNA & ASSOCIATES, P.C., et al., appellants (and a third-party action).
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

123 A.D.3d 959
999 N.Y.S.2d 860
2014 N.Y. Slip Op. 08948

Chris BIVONA, et al., respondents
v.
DANNA & ASSOCIATES, P.C., et al., appellants
(and a third-party action).

2013-04113

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department, New York.

Dec. 24, 2014.

999 N.Y.S.2d 861

Winget, Spadafora & Schwartzberg, LLP, New York, N.Y. (Melissa Morais and Dianna D. McCarthy of counsel), for appellants.

MARK C. DILLON, J.P., THOMAS A. DICKERSON, JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, and L. PRISCILLA HALL, JJ.

Opinion

123 A.D.3d 959

In an action to recover damages for legal malpractice, the defendants appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Richmond County (Minardo, J.), dated January 17, 2013, which denied their motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, without costs or disbursements.

“ ‘In an action to recover damages for legal malpractice, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the attorney failed to exercise the ordinary reasonable skill and knowledge commonly possessed by a member of the legal profession and that the attorney's breach of this duty proximately caused plaintiff to sustain actual and ascertainable damages' ” (

123 A.D.3d 960

Lever v. Roesch, 101 A.D.3d 954, 955, 957 N.Y.S.2d 354, quoting Rudolf v. Shayne, Dachs, Stanisci, Corker & Sauer, 8 N.Y.3d 438, 442, 835 N.Y.S.2d 534, 867 N.E.2d 385 ; see Lovino, Inc. v. Lavallee Law Offs., 96 A.D.3d 910, 911–912, 948 N.Y.S.2d 303 ; Verdi v. Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, 92 A.D.3d 771, 772, 938 N.Y.S.2d 806 ). “ ‘To establish causation, a plaintiff must show that he or she would have prevailed in the underlying action or would not have incurred any damages, but for the lawyer's negligence’ ” (Lever v. Roesch, 101 A.D.3d at 955, 957 N.Y.S.2d 354, quoting Rudolf v. Shayne, Dachs, Stanisci, Corker & Sauer, 8 N.Y.3d at 442, 835 N.Y.S.2d 534, 867 N.E.2d...