Cameron v 150 Riverside Op. LLC

Annotate this Case

Download PDF

Cameron v 150 Riverside Op. LLC 2020 NY Slip Op 30921(U) April 10, 2020 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 154077/2019 Judge: Paul A. Goetz Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication. INDEX NO. 154077/2019 I [* 1] RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/13/2020 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 30 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEW YORK COUNTY PRESENT: PART HON. PAUL A. GOETZ IAS MOTION 47EFM Justice --------------------------------------------------------------------------------X DEBORAH CAMERON, Plaintiff, INDEX NO. 15407712019 MOTION DATE N/A MOTION SEQ. NO. 001 -v150 RIVERSIDE OP. LLC,CARERITE CENTERS LLC DECISION + ORDER ON MOTION Defendant. -------------------------------------------------------------~-------------------X The following e-fifed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 were read on this motion to/for This DISMISS actfon arises from the allegedly negligent treatment of decedent Gracie Cameron while she was under care at defendants' nursing home facility from approximately August 14, 2017 to March 7, 2018. Plaintiffs complaint alleges eight causes of action, as follows: (1) Negligence; (2) Conscious pain and suffering; (3) Negligence per se; (4) Violation of Public Health Law§ 2801-d; (5) Lack of informed consent; (6) Breach oflmplied Warranty; (7) Breach of Contract; and (8) Wrongful death. Defendants now move pursuant to CPLR 321 l(a)(7) to dismiss the negligence per se, the breach of implied warranty and the breach of contract causes of action <!Ild to conditionally dismiss the entire complaint for failure to serve a certificate of merit pursuant to CPLR 3012-a. Defendants first argue that the negligence per se claim should be dismissed because it is duplicative of the fourth cause of action for violation of Public Health Law § 2801-d. Public Health Law § 2801-d confers a private right of action on a patient in a nursing home for injuries sustained as a result of the deprivation of the patient's rights. Public Health Law§ 2801-d(l)~ Zeides v. Hebrew Home for the Aged at Riverdale, Inc., 300 A.D.2d 178, 179 (P1 Depit 2002). It 154077/2019 CAMERON, DEBORAH vs. 150 RIVERSIDE OP. LLC Motion No. 001 1 of 4 Page 1of4 INDEX NO. 154077/2019 [* 2] RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/13/2020 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 30 is well settled that a cause of action to recover damages for deprivation of rights under the Public Health Law is separate and distinct and involves considerations different from those that souncl in medical malpractice or negligence. Ward v. Eastchester Health Care Center, LLC, 34 A.D.3d 24 7, 248 (1st Dep't 2006); Zeides, 300 A.D.2d at 179; Sullivan v. 014r Lady of Consolation Geriatric Care Ctr., 60 A.D.3d 663 (2d Dep't 2009). Indeed, the statute explicitly provides that '''[t]he remedies provided in this section are in addition to and cumulative with any other remedies available to a patient, at law or in equity or by administrative proceedings, including tort causes of action .... "Accordingly, this cause of action will not be dismissed as duplicative. Next, defendants argue that the breach of implied warranty and breach of contract causes of action must be dismissed as legally insufficient because it is redundant of plaintiffs claims sounding in negligence and/or malpractice. In opposition to this argument, plaintiff submits the admissions agreement, wherein defendants agreed to provide certain specified services to plaintiff. Affinnation of Jeffrey Liu dated N overnber 5, 2019, Exh. A It is well settled that "a cause of action to recover damages for breach of contract to provide medical senrices will withstand a test to its legal sufficiency only where it is based upon an express special promise to effect a cure or to accomplish some definite result.'; Detringo v. South Island Family Medical, LLC, 158 A.D.3d 609, 610 (2d Dep't 2018) (internal quotations and citations omitted); Robins v. Finestone, 308 N.Y. 543, 546 (1955j ('~a doctor and his patient are at liberty to contract for a particular result and, if that result be not attained, a cause of action for breach of contract result$ which is entirely separate from one for malpractice although both may arise from the same transaction"). Here, the admissions agreement between the parties, which lists specific services that defendants allegedly failed to provide to plaintiff, is sufficient to state causes of action for breach of contract and breach of warranty. Duquette v. Olivia, 75 A.D.3d 727, 728 (3d Dep't 154077/2019 CAMERON, DEBORAH vs. 150 RIVERSIDE OP. LLC Motion No. 001 2 of 4 Page2of4 INDEX NO. 154077/2019 [* 3] RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/13/2020 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 30 2010) ("While [defendant's] agreement to perform both the breast augmentation and areola reduction procedures, generally, does not allege an ex;press promise to achieve a definite result, the same cannot be said of the alleged agreement to use a smooth implant as opposed to the textured version actually implanted and to increase plaintiffs breast size to a D cup."); Nicoleau v. Brookhaven Memorial Hosp. Center, 201A.D.2d544, 545 (2d Dep't 1994). Accordingly, these causes of action will not be dismissed. Finally, defendants argue plaintiffs claims sound in medical malpractice, rather than negligence, and as such, the complaint should be conditionally dismissed for failure to provide a Certificate of Merit under CPLR 3012-a. However, defendants failed to identify any specific allegations in the complaint where plaintiff alleges a medical malpractice claim as opposed to a claim of ordinary negligence. Ward, 34 A.D.3d. at 248; Zeides, 300 AD.2d at 180. A claim based on the alleged negligence of non-physician health care workers is deemed to sound in medical malpractice ... if the alleged conduct of such worker "be.ars a substantial relationship to the rendition of medical treatment by alfoensed physician ... ."Bleiler v. Bodnar, 65 N.Y.2d 65, 72 (1985); Wardv. Eastchester Health Care Center! LLC, 2004 WL .5657281 (Sup. Ct. Bronx Cty. 2004), ajf'd, 34 A.D.3d. 247 (I st Dep't 2006). Here, based on a review of the verified complaint and the amended verified bill of particulars, it appears that the injuries complained of - in this action do not involve specialized expertise, i.e. preventing bed sores and providing appropriate feeding, hydration, dressing and hygiene to deceden,t. Verified Complaint, iJ 55. Accordingly, the complaint will not be dismissed on this basis. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the motion is denied. 154077/2019 CAMERON, DEBORAH vs. 150 RIVERSIDE OP. LLC Motion No. 001 3 of 4 Page 3 of 4 INDEX NO. 154077/2019 [* 4] RECEIVED NYSCEF: 04/13/2020 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 30 DATE CHECK ONE: APPLICATION: CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: ~ CASE DISPOSED GRANTED 0 ~ DENIED NON-FINAL DISPOSITION GRANTED IN PART SETTLE ORDER SUBMIT ORDER INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT D D OTHER REFERENCE r 154077/2019 CAMERON, DEBORAH vs. 150 RIVERSIDE OP. LLC Motion No. 001 4 of 4 Page 4 of 4

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.