Garcia-Desoto v. Velpula

Decision Date01 August 2018
Docket NumberIndex No. 9262/14,2016–06725
Citation77 N.Y.S.3d 887 (Mem)
Parties Ana GARCIA–DESOTO, appellant, v. Sanjeeva VELPULA, etc., et al., respondents.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Krentsel & Guzman, LLP, New York, N.Y. (Steven E. Krentsel and Julie T. Mark of counsel), for appellant.

Kerley, Walsh, Matera & Cinquemani, P.C., Seaford, N.Y. (Lauren B. Bristol of counsel), for respondents.

JOHN M. LEVENTHAL, J.P., LEONARD B. AUSTIN, COLLEEN D. DUFFY, BETSY BARROS, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In an action to recover damages for medical malpractice, the plaintiff appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Michelle Weston, J.), dated May 2, 2016. The order granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is reversed, on the law, with costs, and the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint is denied.

The plaintiff brought this action to recover damages for medical malpractice for injuries she alleges she sustained during the course of a total abdominal hysterectomy performed by the defendant Sanjeeva Velpula at the defendant New York Methodist Hospital. The defendants moved for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and submitted an expert affirmation from a physician in support of the motion. The plaintiff submitted an expert affirmation from another physician in opposition to the motion.

We disagree with the Supreme Court's determination to grant the defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, as the defendants failed to establish their prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law. In order to meet their prima facie burden, the defendants were required to address, with competent medical evidence, the factual allegations set forth in the plaintiff's bill of particulars with reference to the defendants' alleged acts of negligence and the injuries sustained (see DiLorenzo v. Zaso, 148 A.D.3d 1111, 1112, 50 N.Y.S.3d 503 ; Cham v. St. Mary's Hosp. of Brooklyn, 72 A.D.3d 1003, 901 N.Y.S.2d 65 ). Medical expert affirmations that fail to address the essential factual allegations in the plaintiff's complaint or bill of particulars fail to establish prima facie entitlement to judgment as a matter of law (see Roques v. Noble, 73 A.D.3d 204, 206, 899 N.Y.S.2d 193 ). Bare conclusory assertions by a defendant that he or she did not deviate from good and accepted medical practice, with no factual detail with respect to the alleged injury, do not establish that the cause of action has no merit so as to entitle a defendant to summary judgment (see Winegrad v. New York Univ....

To continue reading

Request your trial
10 cases
  • Jacobs v. Carter
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • 1 September 2020
    ... ... 1112, 50 N.Y.S.3d 503 [2d Dept 2017], quoting Winegrad v ... New York Univ. Med. Ctr., supra at 853; see ... Garcia-DeSoto v Velpula, 164 A.D.3d 474, 77 N.Y.S.3d 887 ... [2d Dept 2018]) ...          Generally, ... a hospital may not be held vicariously liable ... ...
  • Dignan v. Vincent
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • 6 July 2021
    ... ... 1111, 1112,50 N.Y.S.3d 503 [2d Dept 2017], quoting ... Winegrad v New York Univ. Med. Ctr., supra at 853; ... see Garcia-DeSoto v Velpula, 164 A.D.3d 474, 77 ... N.Y.S.3d 887 [2d Dept 2018]) ...          If the ... defendant establishes a prima facie case of ... ...
  • Demaria v. Chowdhery
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court
    • 4 August 2020
    ...50 N.Y.S.3d 503 [2d Dept 2017], quoting Winegrad v New York Univ. Med. Ctr., supra at 853; see Garcia-DeSoto v Velpula, 164 A.D.3d 474, 77 N.Y.S.3d 887 [2d Dept 2018]). After making this prima facie showing, the burden shifts to the plaintiff to submit evidentiary facts or materials that ra......
  • Elstein v. Hammer
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • 31 March 2021
    ...with respect to the alleged injuries, and contained more than bare conclusory assertions (cf. Garcia–DeSoto v. Velpula, 164 A.D.3d 474, 77 N.Y.S.3d 887 ). In opposition, the plaintiffs failed to raise a triable issue of fact. The plaintiffs proffered the expert affidavit of Angelo Scotti, a......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT