| Alvarado v Culotta |
| 2009 NY Slip Op 06109 [65 AD3d 504] |
| August 4, 2009 |
| Appellate Division, Second Department |
| Cesar Alvarado, Appellant-Respondent, v GiovanniCulotta et al., Respondents-Appellants. |
—[*1] Hagan, Coury & Associates, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Paul Golden of counsel), forrespondent-appellant Giovanni Culotta. Bartlett, McDonough, Bastone & Monaghan, LLP, White Plains, N.Y. (Edward J. Guardaro,Jr., and Patricia D'Alvia of counsel), for respondents-appellants Hector A. Valencia and PediatricFamily Center.
In an action, inter alia, to recover damages for medical malpractice, the plaintiff appeals, aslimited by his brief, from so much of an order of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Cullen, J.),dated March 17, 2008, as granted those branches of the motion of the defendants Hector A.Valencia and Pediatric Family Center, and the separate motion of the defendant GiovanniCulotta, which were pursuant to CPLR 4404 (a) to set aside, as excessive, the jury verdict on theissue of damages in the principal sums of $100,000 for past pain and suffering, $1,540,000 forfuture pain and suffering, $1,088,000 for future loss of earnings, and $546,000 for futurepsychological, educational, and occupational services, and for a new trial; the defendants HectorA. Valencia and Pediatric Family Center cross-appeal, as limited by their brief, from statedportions of the same order which, inter alia, in effect, denied as academic those branches of theirmotion which were pursuant to CPLR 4404 (a) to set aside the verdict on the issue of liabilityand for judgment as a matter of law, or to set aside the verdict on the issue of liability as contraryto the weight of the evidence and for a new trial; and the defendant Giovanni Culotta separatelycross-appeals, as limited by his brief, from stated portions of the same order which, inter alia, ineffect, denied as academic that branch of his motion which was to set aside the verdict againsthim upon his default in appearing at trial.[*2]
Ordered that the order is modified, on the law, on thefacts, and in the exercise of discretion, (1) by deleting the provision thereof granting thosebranches of the motion of the defendants Hector A. Valencia and Pediatric Family Center, andthe separate motion of the defendant Giovanni Culotta, which were pursuant to CPLR 4404 (a)to set aside, as excessive, the jury verdict on the issue of damages as to past pain and sufferingand future loss of earnings, and for a new trial with respect to those damages, and substitutingtherefor a provision denying those branches of the motions, (2) by deleting the provision thereofwhich, in effect, denied as academic that branch of the motion of the defendants Hector A.Valencia and Pediatric Family Center which was pursuant to CPLR 4404 (a) to set aside the juryverdict and for judgment as a matter of law on the causes of action seeking to recover damagesfor future psychological and educational services, and substituting therefor a provision grantingthat branch of the motion, (3) by adding thereto a provision stating that the new trial granted bythe court on the issue of damages for future pain and suffering shall be held unless the plaintiffshall serve and file in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Queens County, a writtenstipulation consenting to reduce the damages for future pain and suffering from the principal sumof $1,540,000 to the principal sum of $750,000, and (4) by adding thereto a further provisionstating that the new trial on the issue of damages for future occupational services shall be heldunless the plaintiff and the defendants Hector A. Valencia and Family Pediatric Center shallserve and file in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Queens County, a writtenstipulation stating that the plaintiff's damages on this cause of action amount to the principal sumof $101,400; as so modified, the order is affirmed insofar as appealed and cross-appealed from,without costs or disbursements; and it is further,
Ordered that the time for the plaintiff to serve and file his written stipulation consenting toreduce the damages for future pain and suffering from the principal sum of $1,540,000 to theprincipal sum of $750,000, if he shall be so advised, shall be within 30 days after service uponhim of a copy of this decision and order; and it is further,
Ordered that the time for the plaintiff and the defendants Hector A. Valencia and FamilyPediatric Center to serve and file their written stipulation stating that the plaintiff's damages onthe cause of action seeking to recover damages for future occupational services amount to theprincipal sum of $101,400, if they shall be so advised, shall be within 30 days after service uponthem of a copy of this decision and order.
"[I]n an action to recover damages for medical malpractice, the plaintiff must prove that thedefendant deviated from accepted practice, and that such deviation proximately caused his or herinjuries" (Manuka v Crenshaw, 43AD3d 886, 887 [2007]; see Holton v Sprain Brook Manor Nursing Home, 253AD2d 852 [1998]). Here, the evidence was legally sufficient to support the jury verdict on theissue of liability against the defendants Hector A. Valencia and Pediatric Family Center(hereinafter the medical defendants) (see Cohen v Hallmark Cards, 45 NY2d 493, 499[1978]; see also Szczerbiak v Pilat, 90 NY2d 553 [1997]). Further, the verdict on theissue of liability was not against the weight of the evidence (see Nicastro v Park, 113AD2d 129, 134 [1985]).
However, we conclude that the evidence was legally insufficient to support any awards forfuture psychological and educational services. In particular, there was no showing that the$35,000 to $45,000 per year school program that the plaintiff's expert described was "availableto the infant plaintiff and that [he] intended to enroll in such a program" (see Jackson vChetram, 300 AD2d 446, 447 [2002]). Additionally, the evidence was insufficient to supportan award for future psychological services, as there was no evidence that the plaintiff was seeinga psychologist at the [*3]time of trial (see Guerrero v DjukoRealty, 300 AD2d 542 [2002]; see also Korn v Levick, 231 AD2d 606 [1996]).Therefore, that branch of the medical defendants' motion which was for judgment as a matter oflaw on the causes of action seeking to recover damages for future psychological and educationalservices should have been granted (see Guerrero v Djuko Realty, 300 AD2d 542, 543[2002]).
As for the issue of future occupational services, based upon the testimony of the plaintiff'sexpert, which was not refuted by the medical defendants, an award of $101,400 is appropriate.However, we note that the verdict sheet given to the jury improperly combined into one categorythe separate items of damages for future psychological, educational, and occupational services.The jury made a single award in the principal sum of $546,000, making it impossible todetermine how it was allocated. In light of the foregoing determination, the entire award must beset aside, and the issue of the plaintiff's damages for future occupational services must be thesubject of a new trial, unless the plaintiff and the medical defendants, if they be so advised,stipulate that the plaintiff's damages on this cause of action amount to the principal sum of$101,400.
The award for future pain and suffering was excessive to the extent indicated (seeCPLR 5501 [c]; Jackson v Chetram, 300 AD2d 446 [2002]; Padilla v Jols RealtyCorp., 284 AD2d 512 [2001]; Hiraldo v Khan, 267 AD2d 205 [1999], affd afterremand 8 AD3d 230 [2004]). However, the award for past pain and suffering and future lossearnings were appropriate, and the Supreme Court should not have set them aside.
The defendant Giovanni Culotta did not appear at trial. However, following the jury verdict,he moved for various items of relief including, in effect, an order setting aside the verdict againsthim on the ground that his default was excusable and he had a meritorious defense. Contrary tohis contention, he failed to establish a reasonable excuse for failing to appear at the trial (see Mohrmann v Lynch-Mohrmann,24 AD3d 735 [2005]; see alsoGonzalez v Cirri, 56 AD3d 425 [2008]; Matter of Forte v Forte, 304 AD2d 577[2003]). In view of the lack of a reasonable excuse, it is unnecessary to consider whether Culottasufficiently demonstrated the existence of a meritorious defense (see Toland v Young, 60 AD3d754 [2009]).
The parties' remaining contentions are either not properly before us or without merit. Rivera,J.P., Miller, Balkin and Austin, JJ., concur.