Simoni v Costigan

Simoni v Costigan 2012 NY Slip Op 07882 Decided on November 20, 2012 Appellate Division, First Department Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431. This opinion is uncorrected and subject to revision before publication in the Official Reports.

Decided on November 20, 2012
Tom, P.J., Andrias, Saxe, Acosta, Freedman, JJ.
8617N 24300/06

[*1]Arianit Simoni, Plaintiff-Respondent,

v

Elizabeth Costigan, Defendant-Appellant, Ann Morgan Bernardone, et al., Defendants.



Arianit Simoni, Plaintiff-Respondent,

v

Paul J. Napoli, Esq., et al., Defendants-Respondents.




Lewis Johs Avallone Aviles, LLP, Melville (Seth M. Weinberg
of counsel), for appellant.
The Dauti Law Firm, P.C., New York (Ylber Albert Dauti of
counsel), for Arianit Simoni, respondent.
Ropers Majeski Kohn & Bentley, New York (Andrew L.
Margulis of counsel), for Paul J. Napoli, Marc J. Bern, Alan S. Ripka,
Napoli Bern Ripka, LLP and Jeffrey W. Varcadipane,
respondents.

Order, Supreme Court, Bronx County (Laura G. Douglas, J.), entered February 17, 2011, which, inter alia, denied defendant Costigan's motion to consolidate two personal injury actions with a legal malpractice action, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

Although the personal injury actions and the legal malpractice action involve "a common question of law or fact" (CPLR 602[a]), consolidation could engender jury confusion and [*2]prejudice the defendants in the malpractice action (see Addison v New York Presbyt. Hosp./Columbia Univ. Med. Ctr., 52 AD3d 269, [1st Dept 2008]; Brown v Brooklyn Union Gas Co., 137 AD2d 479 [2nd Dept 1988]).

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER
OF THE SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT.

ENTERED: NOVEMBER 20, 2012

CLERK