DePaola v. Albany Medical College — 40 A.D.3d 678

Majority

p. 678

Michelle DePaola, Plaintiff, v Albany Medical College et al., Defendants, and Funeral Service Department of the Faculty-Student Association of Hudson Valley Community College, Inc., Defendant and Third-Party Plaintiff-Appellant. New York University College of Dentistry et al., Third-Party Defendants-Respondents.

[834 NYS2d 866]

In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendant third-party plaintiff appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Kings County (Schmidt, J.), dated January 18, 2006, which granted the motion of the third-party defendants New York University College of Dentistry and New York University for summary judgment dismissing the third-party complaint.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The Supreme Court properly granted the third-party defendants’ motion for summary judgment dismissing the third-party complaint seeking contribution and indemnification. In response to the third-party defendants’ prima facie showing that the plaintiff did not sustain a “grave injury” as defined by the statute, the defendant third-party plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact (see Workers’ Compensation Law § 11; Rubeis v

p. 679

Aqua Club, Inc., 3 NY3d 408 [2004]; Martelle v City of New York, 31 AD3d 400 , 401 [2006]; Angwin v SRF Partnership, 285 AD2d 568 , 569 [2001]; Fitzpatrick v Chase Manhattan Bank, 285 AD2d 487 [2001]). Additionally, gross negligence and/or reckless conduct on the part of an employer will not neutralize the exclusivity of the Workers’ Compensation Law as would an intentional tort (see Acevedo v Consolidated Edison Co. of N.Y., 189 AD2d 497 , 500 [1993]; Briggs v Pymm Thermometer Corp., 147 AD2d 433 , 436 [1989]; Orzechowski v Warner-Lambert Co., 92 AD2d 110 , 113-117 [1983]).

The defendant third-party plaintiff’s remaining contentions are without merit. Prudenti, P.J., Fisher, Lifson and Angiolillo, JJ., concur.

Cases cited

Rubies v. Aqua Club, Inc. 3 NY3d 408 N.Y. 2004-11-23 p. 679
Martelle v. City of New York 31 AD3d 400 N.Y. App. Div. 2006-07-05 at 401 p. 679
Angwin v. SRF Partnership, L. P. 285 AD2d 568 N.Y. App. Div. 2001-07-23 at 569 p. 679
Fitzpatrick v. Chase Manhattan Bank 285 AD2d 487 N.Y. App. Div. 2001-07-09 p. 679
Acevedo v. Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. 189 AD2d 497 N.Y. App. Div. 1993-04-22 at 500 p. 679
Briggs v. Pymm Thermometer Corp. 147 AD2d 433 N.Y. App. Div. 1989-02-06 at 436 p. 679
Orzechowski v. Warner-Lambert Co. 92 AD2d 110 N.Y. App. Div. 1983-03-07 at 113-117 p. 679