Nahar v Gulati

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Nahar v Gulati 2011 NY Slip Op 33142(U) December 6, 2011 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: 105848/2010 Judge: Jane S. Solomon Republished from New York State Unified Court System's E-Courts Service. Search E-Courts (http://www.nycourts.gov/ecourts) for any additional information on this case. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. SCANNED ON 121712011 [* 1] SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY ¶ PART Justice INDEX NO. Index Number 10584812010 MOTION DATE NAHAR, TAMANNA, M.D. VS. GULATI, RASHMI, M.D. Dated: & ..................................................................... 2. CHECK AS APPROPRIATE: ........................... MOTION IS: I.CHECK ONE: 3. CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: ................................................ s l 9 uf\\ MOTION SEQ. NO. - DEC 07 [7 CASE DlsPOsEb n N~N-FINAL DISPOSITION L _3 GRANTED [7 S E n L E ORDER 0DO NOT POST 0SUBMIT ORDRP D FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT a&REN~E [* 2] S U P R E Y E COURT OF TIIF, STATE OF NEW YORK NF,W YORK COTJN'I'Y : T A S PART 55 Pla i. n t. i f f , -a y ;i n s t i _INDEX N O . 105848/10 D E C I S I O N and ORDER R A S H M I GUT,A'l'I, M ,D. , DEE GIJLA'YI c ? / k / a T)E,EPAK G U T , A T I , VERA MYKRS, P A T I E N T S M E D I C A L P.C . , J O H N AND ,JANE DOL I.-10 (E'TCTIT101J.S NAMES), ARC C O l i P O R A T l O N S 1 - 1 0 ( F I C T I T I O U S NAMES) , Defendants . JANE S . SOLOMON, J. : , I In t . h i s a c t i . o n f o r fraud, d e f e n d a n t s Rashmi C u l a t i , M . D. ( l i a s t i r n i ) , Dee C u 1 a t . i a / l c / a Deepak G u l a t i the Gulatis), V e r a Myers Clinic) ( M y e r s ) , a n d P a L i c n t s Medical. P.C. ( t h e (all t - o y e t h c r , D e f e n d a n t s ) move, p u r s u a n t t o 3 2 1 2 a n d 2 2 NYCRR 1 3 0 . 1 . - 1 , b r l riyirig (Dee) ( t o g e t h e r , ~3 for summary j u d g m e n t a n d s a n c t i u n s / c o s t s f o r I r i v o l ous act-ion. The m o t i o n i.s d e n i e d a s follows. BACKGROUND F a m i l i a r i t y w i t h t h e court's prior d e c i s i o n and order i n rriotinn s e q u e n c e 0 0 1 , dated F e b r u a r y 2.5, 2 0 1 1 , E'ebruary 2 8 , and e n t e r e d 2 0 1 1 (02/28/11 O r d e r ) , i s p r e s u m e d . h'rnm January 2 0 0 6 t o J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 , p l a i n t i f f Tamanna N a h a r , M.D. ( p l a i n t i f f ) , a N e w Yor-k 1i.censed p h y s i c i a r - 1 , was employed b y n o n - p a r t y Bronx Lebanon I I o s p i t a l C e n t e r H o s p i t a l ) i n \+heB r o n x , New Y o r k , Echocard i.ograptiy. a s DiKector of (the [* 3] F r o m approximat.ely May 2009 to November 2 0 0 9 , plainti If a l 1 e y e t l l y al:.;o w o r k e d a t t.he Cl i i-iicl ori a p a r t . - t i m e b a s i s , performing and i riterpreting cchocardioyrams. nt t h e C l i n i c , the G u l a t i s alleged1.y a s k e d f o r plaint:. i FF s p e r r i n i s s i o n t.o submi L j.ns;urance b i l l s f o r the Clinic u r i c l e r her namE f o r pal:.ieril.s whom she d i d n o t s e e or p a t i e n t - s st.ut3i.e:; [.hat she d i d nut. i n t . e r p r e t . Shc c l a i m s t h a t s h e dcni.ed t . h e G u l a t i s requcst, hut. t.he C l i r - i i c s u b m i t t e d s u c h j risuraricc b i l l s ariyway. P l a i n t i f f a l leges t h a t , i n January 2010, she plai.ritiIf was n o t i fi.etl by her Hospj.t.al s u p e r v i s o r s o f t h e i r di scovery tl-ialr t h e C l i n i c h a d subrniLt.cd in.si.iran(:e b i l l s i n d i c a L i n q t h a L s h e had w o r k e d at. t.he C I . i r i i c o n days when s h e was s u p p o s e d t o be working at. t-kl-ie H o s p i t . a l . ( C o m p l a i n t , 41 1 8 ) . As a r e s u l t , p l a i n t i L f was forced t o l . e a v e [.he H o s p i t a l s ernploy (id. ) . P u r s u a n t . t o Lhe 0 2 / 2 8 / 3 1 . Order, e i . y h l l o u t o f ten p u r p o r t e d c a u s e s o f a c t i ( - j n were d j - s m i s s e d . T h e two t . h a t survived a r e fraud and i n t . c n t i o r i a l i n t e r f e r e n c e wit.h prospective economic advaiitaqe. 11-1 March 201.1, i3. d e p o s i t i o n (jf t h e H o s p i t a l w i t n e s s , Dr. Sridhar S . Chj l . j . r r i u r i , M.D. ( D r . C h i l i m u r i ) , t o o k place. Dr-. Chi l i r n u r i , t . h e C h a i r m a n o f M e d i c i n e a t t h e H o s p i t a l , was p l a i n t - i f f s superjor. In May 2011, d e f e n d a n L s served a n o t i c e t o Rashmi js t h e o w n e r a n d d i r e c t o r o f iihe C l . i n i c ; Myers i s a billi.ng supervisor. L)cc a p p e a r s t o a l s o have a role i n t h e C l i n i c s managerrlent.. 2 [* 4] adrrii t_ on p l a i n t i f f , i.0 w h i c h p l a i n r i f f has riot r c s p o r - i d e d . P l a i n t i L f has not. becn d e p o s e d . DISCUSSION Tc) o h t a i - n summary judgment, t h e movar.iL must. t - e n d e r e v i d e n t i a r y p r o o f - L h a t w o u l d e s t a b l i s h t h e m o v a n t . ~c a u s e of a c t i o n o r d e f e n s e s u f f i c i e n t l y t.o w a r r a n t judgmeint i n his o r her f a v o r a s a mat.t.cr o f l a w ( Z u c k e r - m a 1 7 v C i t y (if N e w Y o r - k , 4 3 NY2d 5.57, 562 [l 9801 ) . opposing part-y must [T]o defeat.. ~3 r n o t i o n Lor summary judgment t h e show facts s u f f i c i e n t t o r e q u i r e a t r i . a l . o f a n y i s s u e o f f a c t (id., q u o t - i n q CPLR 3213. [b]). On a m o t i o n f - o r summary j u d q m e n t , ... self-servi.ng sta(1enienLs o f an i n t e r e s t e d p a r t y w h i c h r e f e r t o m a t t e r s c x c l u s i v e 1 . y w i . t . h i n t-lhat. party s k r i o w l e d g e c r e a t e a n i s s u e o f c r c d j b j . 1 i t y w h i c h should not, h e d e c i d e d b y t h e court h u L s h o u l d h e l e f t for t . h e t - r i e r o f fac:I.s (Sacher- v L o n g 3s. l.7t.wish-H.illside Med. Ctr., 1/12 A D 2 d 567, 568 [Zd Dept 19881). \\ The elerneni::; of a c a u s e of- a c t i o n f o r f r a u d r c q u i r e a m a t e r i a l m i srepr~eseril-.aCion 01 a fact, k n o w l e d g e o f i t s f a l s i t y , a n interit t o i n d u c e r e l i a n c e , j ustifi.ab1.e r e l i a n c e b y t h e plaintiff, a n d d a m a g e s ( E u r - y c l e i a P a r t n k r s , L F v S e w a r d K i s s e l , LLP, & 12 NY3d 553, 5.59 12009J). \ \ 1 1 o r t i o ~ i ~ t - e r f e r e n c e wi.t-.h p r o s p e c t i v e e c o n o m i c n r c l a t i o n s r e q u i 1 - e ~ n a l l e g a t i o n that p l a i r i t l i f f w o u l d h a v e a e n t e r e d i n t o a n economic r e l a t i o n s h i p b u t . for- t h e d e f e n d a n t s [* 5] w r o n y L u l c o n d u c t ( V i q o d a v DCA P r o d : ; . [ 1.st. Dept. 20021 ) . WronyIul conduct. C)L P l u s , 293 A D 2 d 265, 266 w r o n g f u l means i n c l u d e s f r a u d and rriisr-epreseril.a~.ion on p a r t o f t h e d e f e n d a n t (see S n y d e r v S O I J Y M u c : i c E n t e r - t a i r i m e r i t , 252 A D ? d 294, 300 [],st.Dept 1,9991) . D e f e n d a n t s c l a i m t h a t p 1 , a i n t i f f s u f f e r . e d no damages. 111 p a r t i c u l a r , they c l a i m t h a t p l a i n t i f f w a s n o t f o r c e d t o r e s i g n f r o m t . h c I-Iospi I-tal, r a t h e r shc l e f t t i e r employ v o l . u n L a r i l y . s u p p o r t , t h c y offer ; d Notice t o A d m i t , d a t e d May 2 3 , 2011 ( t h e Not-.ice t o A d m i t ) , whi(-:h was s e r v e d o n ~ 1 . a i r i t i f . fa~ d n t.rans(.:r-ipt. o f D r . Noti.c:e In tl deposition C h i 1 im u r i . to Admit T h e Nolic:e t o A d m i t . a s k e d p l a i n t i f f t o a d m i t t h a t s h c r e s i g n e d f r o m t h e Ho..;pital v o l u n t a r j . 1 y a n d was not t e r m i n a L e d , a n d t h a t she was n o t rcquest.ed or f o r c e d t o r e s i g n Howlcs Aff., e x h i b i t J ) . (see 0 7/28/11 D e f e n d a n t s c l a j . m , ar-id p 1 . a i n L i f f d o e s not. d e n y , t h a t . shc d i d riolr r e s p o n d t o t h e N o t i c e t o A d m i t . The p u r p o s c o f a r - i o t i c e t o admit is t.o e l i m i n a t e f r o m c o n t . e n t . i o n f a c t u a l m a t - t e r - s w h i c h a r e e a s i l y provable a n d about w h i c h t . h c r e car1 be n o c o n t r o v e r s y ( T a y l o r . v B l a i r , 116 A D 2 d 204, 206 [lst Hcpt 3 9861 [ i n t . c r n a l q u o t a i l i o n m a r k s arid c i t a t i o n omitted] ) . Tt. \\may n o t h e u t i l i z e d t o request a d m i s s i o n o f material i s s u e s or u 1 t i r n a t . e or c o n c l u s o r y facts, w h i c h can v r i l y he resolved a f t e r - a f u l l t r i a l (id. [ i n t e r n a l c i t a t i o n o m i t t e d ] ; s e e also L e w i s v I l e r f z Gorp., 193 AD2d 470, 470 [].st Dept 19931). 4 [* 6] '' [I].:t may not. be employed a s o. : ; u b s t i t u t e f o r oLhcr d i s c l o s u r e devices, suc:h a s e x a m i n a t i o n s b e f o r e t r i a l , d e p o s i L i o n s upon w r i t . t . e n y u c s t . i o r l s o r i n t - e r r o g a t - u r i e s " ( Il'ayZor, 1 1 6 A D 2 d a t 206;). Dcfer1dant.s' r e q u e s t s t o admi 1- that p 1 . a i n t . j . f f was not t.errnj.nal-.ed but. r a t - h e r left Hospital' s employ v o l u n t a r i l y p e r t - d i n t o [.he c r u c i a l , u l t i . m a t e i s s u e o f damages. Accor.dingly, t h e r'eqiuests a t . i s s u e a r e i m p r o p e r on a notice t o admi.L ( T a y l o r - , 11 6 A D 2 d at. 706; I)ewis, -1.93A D 2 d at. 1170). Hence, p l a i n t i f f ' s t.o r-espoi-id t o t h e N o t i c e t o A d m i t . i s o f 1-10 failure consequence, a n d c a n n o l bc \.]sedb y D e f e n d a n t s i n s u p p o r t o f t h e i r m o t i o n . Di-. Chi 1 imuri's D e p o s i t i o n D r . Chilimuri t e s t i f i e d that., + phone ; recpived CLIJ i n December 2 0 0 9 , he 1 Lrom a p a t . i . e n t who w a n t e d t o c : l a r i . f y a b i l l r e g a r d i n g m e d i c a l s c r v i c c s p r o v i d e d by p l a i n t i f f i l l M a n h a t . t a n ( C h i l i r n u r i Dep. T r . , aL 1 2 , 4 7 - 4 8 ) . scnt by a c l i n i c Dr. Chilimuri t h e n d i s c o v c r e d that p l a i n t i f f was s e e i n g p a t i e n t - s a t a n o f f i c e i n Ma1ihatt.ai-i ( i d . at. 1 3 - 1 4 , 49-50) . IIe t c s t i f j . e d t - h a t he h a d not. a u t h o r i z c d p l a i r i t - i f f tto p r a c t i c e medicine aut.side of t h e Iiospit.al , arid d i d n o t k n o w t . k a t pl a i n t i f f W;IS wor.kiny e l s e w h e r e (id. at 14-1.5; 44). A t a meeting with p l a i n t i f f i n January 2 0 1 0 , D r . Ch i Ii m u 1 i p 1.1 11p o r t e d 1y d i scus se d t 11 e fo 11o w i n g i. ssLI e s w i Ih : . : plai.ril.iff: (1) to c l a r i f y the n a t u r e o f \:he b i l l f r o m the p a t i e n t arid t o d c t . e r i n i n e w h e t h e r p l a i n t - i f f s u b m i . t t e d b i l l s wi tihout s e e i n q 5 [* 7] ( 2 ) t o f i i i d out aboiii. p l a i r l t i I f ' s p r a c t i c e i n paI.iei1t.s; Manhattan; ( 3 ) t.o f i n d out. if p l a i n t i f f was d i v e r L i n y t - h e l i o s p i t a l ' s p a t . i e n t s t o thc C l i n i c ; ( 4 ) t o find out i f p l a i n t i f f w o r k e d at. Lhe C.1 i r i i c when s h e was si.ipposed Lo be w o r k i n g a t t . h e H(.)spil:.al o r u s e d h e r Hospi t . a l s i . c k l e a v e hours to w o r k at. Lhe C 1 . i n i c (id. a t 1 5 - 1 6 ) . A c c o r d i n g t.o D r . C h i 1 i . m u r i ' s t e s t j m o n y , he t o l d p l a i n t i f f t h a t 1.he H o s p i t a l was qoi rig t o i n v e s t i q a t e t h e s c i s s u e s (id. a t . 1 9 ) . Iie t o l d her t . h a t i f t h e H o s p i t a l d e t e r m i n e d t h a t she comrriilrtcd Medicare f r a u d o r d i v e r t e d t h e H o s p i t a l . p a t i e n t s t-0 t h e C:lini.c:, t . h e e n d 01' t h e r i she w ( - ) u l d be t e r m i i l a t c d (id. a t 22, 24-25). At thc m e e t i n g , p l a i n L i f f s a i d t h a t she w o u l d r e s i g n from h e r j o b at. t . h e H a s p i t - a 1 (id. at. 20) . P l a i n t i f f explairled t h a t i L was already diIficult f o r her t o Lake c a r c of her c h i l d a n d t o work flu1 1. l i m c aL t . h e Hospit-.al, arid t h a t t h e a n t . i c i p a L e d i n v e s I . . i g a t . i o n w o u l d add more stress ( i d . a t 3 7 , 39) . Once p l a i n t i f f a n n o u n c e d her- d e c i s i o n t.o r e s j . y n , t h e T - I o s p i t a l d i d not p u r s u e t . h e I n v c s t i g a t . i o n , a s i d e frorn v e r i f y i r i y t h a t she was s t i l l h i l l i r i q under, [:he H o s p i t a l ' s a t t.he I l o s p i t a l inee!:.ing, name and a d d r e s s for w o r k p e r f o r m e d ( i d . a t 20-21, 2 5 - 2 6 ) plaintiff . Short-ly a f t e r the s u b m i t t e d a r e s i g n a t i o n 1el;ter (id. at 3 5 ) . D r . C h i l i r n u r - i a1.so t . e s t i f j . e d that. h e agreed t o p r o v i d e a r e f e r e n c e let.t.er t o p l a i n t i f f (id. a t 6 8 - 6 9 ) . I r i o p p o s i t i o r - 1 t o Lhe m o t i o n , p l a i n t i f ¬ s u b m i t t e d a n [* 8] a f f i d a v i t s t a l r i n y t h a t a t t l i c m c c t - i n g w i t h D r . C h i l i - m u r - i s h e was o v e r t l y pressured Lo r e s i g n from [ h e r ] p o s i . t i o n o r f a c e s e r i o u s i . n q u i r i e s t h a t c o u l d j e o p a r - d i z e [her] m e d i c a l c a r e e r (08/29/11 Nahar A f f . , ¶ 6) . P l a i n t i f f claims t h a t p r i o r t o t.he m e c t i n g , shc h a d ari c x c : e l l e n L r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t . h t h e H o s p i t a l , j ritcnt.ion 7) Lo . and h a d no of r e s i g n i r l y t r o n i licr posi t i o n a t the Hospi.ta3 (id. at P l a i n t - i f f f u r t . h e r - e x p l - a i n s t.hat. s h e c h o s e t.o resign i n o r d e r - avoid t h c p o s s i . b i 1 i t . y o f l o s i n g her- l i c e n s e t o p r a c t i c e (id., fii lI 9-10) . rnedi.r:inc creai.ed il The w r o r i g f u i act-s o f t h e D e f e n d a n t s s t a i n o n my employment record arid disrupted m y h c r i e t i c i a l r e l a t i o n s h i p w j . L h [ t h e H o s p i t a l ] (id., ¶ 10) . This fol-ceci r e s i g n a t . i o r 1 set. my career b a c k several years a n d impeded my advariccmen t ( id.) . She f u r t h e r (:onter.lds t . h a t D r . Clzili.Inuri. s testimony i n c o r r e c t , l y s t a t c s L h a t she c o u l d not. p r a c t . i c e m e d i c i n e outsidc t h e H o s p i t a l wil.houl-. h i s a u t h o r i z a t i o n . His , t e s t . i m o r l y c o u l d h e read t o i m p l y t h a t s h e r e s i g n e d because s h e h a d e n g a g e d i n a n unau I:how.i.zed medical p r a c t i c e . Ins Lead, stie c l a i m s t h a t s h e was p e r m i t - t e d t.o do o u t s i d c w o r k 2s I.ong a s i t . di.d n o t j n t e r ¬ e r e w i t h h c r w o r k a t t h c IiospiLal ( N a h a r Aff., ¶ 4 ) . Thc s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t.his d i s t i . r i c t . i on i s t h a t s h e c l a i m s t h a t . she f e l t c o m p e l l e d t o r e s i g n b y the a p p e a r a n c c , c r e a t e d by t h e insurance b i l l w r o n g L u l ly :Iubinit.t.ed b y t h e C l - i n i c , t.hat: stie was e n g a g e d i n ; 1 L r a u d u l e i - i t b i l l i n g p r a c : t i c e , and J J O L because s h e was enqaged in 7 [* 9] t h e p r a c t . i c e of Iriedi c i n e in vj c:latior: of h e r c i b l i y a t . i o r - i to tic Hospikal. Accordingly, i s s u e s o f fact e x i s t . a s t o w h e t h e r p l a j n t i f f was f o r c e d t o r e s i g n or l e f t her- H o s p i t - a 1 j o b v o l u n t - d r i l y ( s e e S;ichei. v T30i1g Is. J e w i s h - H i l l . s i d e M c c l . Ctr., 1,42 AD2d at 568), w h e t h e r her departure frmn the Ho.spit.31 was c a u s e d b y D e f e n d a n t s conduct, arid w h e L I i c r s h e s u s t a i n e d darnages other t h a n l o s s o f ernploymeiit w i t h t h e H o s p i t a l . Hence, Defendants rriotiori for summary judgment. i s d e n i e d (see id. ; see also ,9iic:ker-ifiari v C i P y of New York, 49 N Y 2 d at 562). In l i g h L o f t h i s d e t . e r m i n a l i o n , a n d in the absence of any fc?ct.s .sh(.)wing i.hdt. p l a i n t - i f f e n g a g e d i n f r i v o l o u s conduct: w j . t h i n t h e m e a n i n g of 2 2 N Y C R l i 1.30-1 1 (c) ( 1 - 3 ) , Defendants . r e q u e s t for s a r i c t . i o r i s arid c o s t s i s d e n i e d a s w e l l , a n d , j.tsef an =21i is i n a p p r o p r i a t c request:. Finally, p l a i n t i f f was r e q u i r e d t o fi1.e a n d s e r v e a r1ot.e o f i s s u e b y ( J U ~30, 2 0 1 1 , w h i c h s h e d i d n o t d o . Y iiot y e t . h e e n deposed. Since j.t She has a p p e a r s that d i s c o v e r y i.s n o t compleLe, t h c n o t c or i s s u e d e a d l i n e i.s e x t e n d e d t.o F e b r u a r y 2 9 , 201.2. T h i s act.;,nn wj 11 be assigned t o a d j - f f e r e n t . j u s t i c e of t . h i s c o u r t by Leiison of rny retirement, so an a t t . o r n e y w i s h i n g t.o s c h e d u l e a compliance c o n f e r e n c e may l e a r n who t h e assigned J u s t i c e i s b y c o n . - ; u l l . i n g E-Courts a t t h e court s w e b s i t e ( h t t p : / / w w w . n y c o u r t . s . g o v ) , o r b y c o n t a c t i n g t - h e Trial Support 8 [* 10] O f f i c e at. (646) 386-31S5. CONCLUSION ,! or t h e L o r e y o i r - i y reas..;-)in:.;,it: h e r e b y is ORDERED t h a t tic dcfcndants moti.ori f o r summary judgment: a r i d saricl:iori:; is deni ec3 wj t . h $100 COSLS, issuc d e a d l j . n e i.7 c s t c n d c d to February 29, 2012. [)a tecl : Decernher 6 , 20-11 ENTER : 3 and the r i o L e of

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