Owens v. Jea Bus Co.

• Decision Date: 30 May 2018
• Docket Number: Index No. 23790/12,2015–12227
• Citation: 77 N.Y.S.3d 141,161 A.D.3d 1188
• Parties: Anna G. OWENS, respondent, v. JEA BUS CO., INC., et al., defendants-appellants, et al., defendant; Smart Pick, Inc., et al., nonparty-appellants.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

161 A.D.3d 1188

77 N.Y.S.3d 141

Anna G. OWENS, respondent,

v. JEA BUS CO., INC., et al., defendants-appellants, et al., defendant;Smart Pick, Inc., et al., nonparty-appellants.

2015–12227

Index No. 23790/12

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

Argued—February 2, 2018

May 30, 2018

Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, LLP, New York, N.Y. (Meredith Drucker Nolen and Nicholas P. Hurzeler of counsel), for defendants-appellants and nonparty-appellants.

Koenigsberg & Associates (Pollack, Pollack, Isaac & DeCicco, LLP, New York, N.Y. [Brian J. Isaac and Richard Weiss ], of counsel), for respondent.

WILLIAM F. MASTRO, J.P., MARK C. DILLON, JEFFREY A. COHEN, ANGELA G. IANNACCI, JJ.

DECISION & ORDER

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendants Jea Bus Co., Inc., and Tebaldo A. Sibilia, and nonparties Smart Pick, Inc., and Smart Pick Bus, Inc., appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Wavny Toussaint, J.), dated October 14, 2015. The order, insofar as appealed from, denied those branches of the motion of the defendants Jea Bus Co., Inc., and Tebaldo A. Sibilia which were for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and all cross claims insofar as asserted against them.

ORDERED that the appeal by nonparties Smart Pick, Inc., and Smart Pick Bus, Inc., is dismissed, as they are not aggrieved by the order appealed from (see CPLR 5511 ; Mixon v. TBV, Inc. , 76 A.D.3d 144, 156–157, 904 N.Y.S.2d 132 ); and it is further,

ORDERED that the order is modified, on the law, by deleting the provisions thereof denying those branches of the motion of the defendants Jea Bus Co., Inc., and Tebaldo A. Sibilia which were for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and all cross claims insofar as asserted against the defendant Jea Bus Co., Inc., and substituting therefor provisions granting those branches of the motion; as so modified, the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from by the defendants Jea Bus Co., Inc., and Tebaldo A. Sibilia, without costs or disbursements.

On June 27, 2012, the plaintiff, a school bus matron, allegedly sustained injuries when the bus to which she was assigned was involved in a collision with a vehicle owned and operated by the defendant Robin Williams. In July 2012, the plaintiff filed a claim for workers' compensation benefits indicating that her employer was Smart Pick, Inc. However, in December 2012, the plaintiff began receiving workers' compensation benefits from the insurance carrier of the defendant Jea Bus Co., Inc. (hereinafter Jea Bus), after a determination was made by the Workers' Compensation Board (hereinafter the Board) that Jea Bus was the plaintiff's employer. The plaintiff did not file an objection to this determination.

Subsequently, the plaintiff commenced this personal injury action against Williams, Jea Bus, and the defendant Tebaldo A. Sibilia, who was the driver of the subject school bus and an employee of Smart Pick, Inc. In his answer, Williams asserted cross claims against Jea Bus and Sibilia sounding in common-law contribution and indemnification. Jea Bus and Sibilia moved, inter alia, for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and all cross claims insofar as asserted against them based on the exclusivity provision of the Workers' Compensation Law. In an order dated October 14, 2015, the Supreme Court denied those branches of the motion of Jea Bus and Sibilia which were for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and all cross claims insofar as asserted against them, finding triable issues of fact. Jea Bus, Sibilia, Smart Pick, Inc., and Smart Pick Bus, Inc., appeal from the order.

In general, workers' compensation benefits are the sole and exclusive remedy of an employee against an employer for injuries sustained in the course of employment (see Workers Compensation Law §§ 11, 29[6] ; Weiner v. City of New York , 19 N.Y.3d 852, 854, 947 N.Y.S.2d 404, 970 N.E.2d 427 ; Wilson v. A.H. Harris & Sons, Inc. , 131 A.D.3d 1050, 1051, 16 N.Y.S.3d 589 ). "[P]rimary jurisdiction with respect to determinations as to the applicability of the Workers' Compensation Law has been vested in the Workers' Compensation Board" ( Botwinick v. Ogden , 59 N.Y.2d 909, 911, 466 N.Y.S.2d 291, 453 N.E.2d 520 ; see O'Rourke v. Long , 41 N.Y.2d 219, 224, 391 N.Y.S.2d 553, 359 N.E.2d 1347 ; Aprile–Sci v. St. Raymond of Penyafort R.C. Church , 151 A.D.3d 671, 672, 55 N.Y.S.3d 421 ; Nunes v. Window Network, LLC , 54 A.D.3d 834, 834, 863 N.Y.S.2d 815 ). The issue of whether a plaintiff was acting as an employee of a defendant at the time of the injury is a question of fact to be resolved by the Board (see Alfonso v. Lopez, 149 A.D.3d 1535, 1536, 52 N.Y.S.3d 780 ; Matter of Saratoga Skydiving Adventures v. Workers' Compensation Bd. , 145 A.D.3d 1333, 1334, 42 N.Y.S.3d 696 ; Matter of Rosa v. June Elec. Corp. , 140 A.D.3d 1353, 1355, 34 N.Y.S.3d 654 ; Nunes v. Window Network, LLC , 54 A.D.3d at 834, 863 N.Y.S.2d 815 ; Matter of Pilku v. 24535 Owners Corp. , 19 A.D.3d 722, 723, 796 N.Y.S.2d 190 ). The findings of the Board are final and binding, and a plaintiff may not maintain an action against a defendant from which he or she has accepted workers' compensation benefits by arguing that he or she was employed by a different entity (see Derosas v. Rosmarins Land Holdings, LLC , 148 A.D.3d 988, 989, 50 N.Y.S.3d 124 ; Maropakis v. Stillwell Materials Corp. , 38 A.D.3d 623, 623, 833 N.Y.S.2d 122 ; Decavallas v. Pappantoniou , 300 A.D.2d 617, 619, 752 N.Y.S.2d 712 ). If a worker believes that the Board's decision has been made in error, he or she may petition the Board for reconsideration of its determination (see Cunningham v. State of New York , 60 N.Y.2d 248, 253, 469 N.Y.S.2d 588, 457 N.E.2d 693 ; Derosas v. Rosmarins Land Holdings, LLC , 148 A.D.3d at 990, 50 N.Y.S.3d 124 ).

Here, Jea Bus established, prima facie, its entitlement to judgment as a matter of law by demonstrating that the Board had determined that the workers' compensation carrier of Jea Bus was liable for the claim and that the plaintiff had received the benefits (see Derosas v. Rosmarins Land Holdings, LLC , 148 A.D.3d at 990, 50 N.Y.S.3d 124 ; King v. Malone Home Bldrs., Inc. , 137 A.D.3d 1646, 1648, 28 N.Y.S.3d 511 ; Maropakis v. Stillwell Materials Corp. , 38 A.D.3d at 623, 833 N.Y.S.2d 122 ; Langdon v. WEN Mgt. Co. , 147 A.D.2d 450, 452, 537 N.Y.S.2d 603 ). The coverage issue was necessarily determined by the Board in a proceeding in which the plaintiff had the required notice and opportunity to be heard (see Aprile–Sci v. St. Raymond of Penyafort R.C. Church , 151 A.D.3d at 673, 55 N.Y.S.3d 421 ; Rigopolous v. American Museum of Natural History , 297 A.D.2d 728, 729, 747 N.Y.S.2d 566 ). In opposition, the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact (see Zuckerman v. City of New York , 49 N.Y.2d 557, 560, 427 N.Y.S.2d 595, 404 N.E.2d 718 ). Accordingly, the Supreme Court should have granted that branch of the motion which was for summary judgment dismissing the complaint insofar as asserted against Jea Bus.

Additionally, the Supreme Court should have granted that branch of the motion which was for summary judgment dismissing all cross claims insofar as asserted against Jea Bus. Jea Bus, as the plaintiff's employer, would only be liable for common-law contribution and indemnification if the plaintiff suffered a "grave injury" as a result of the accident ( Workers' Compensation Law § 11 ; see Flores v. Lower E. Side Serv. Ctr., Inc. , 4...