Opinion
1282 CA 16–02123
12-22-2017
Anthony P. COMUSO, Plaintiff–Appellant, v. Jay A. SUPNICK and Law Enforcement Psychological Associates ("L.E.P.A." ), Defendants–Respondents.
ANTHONY P. COMUSO, PLAINTIFF–APPELLANT PRO SE. GIBSON, MCASKILL & CROSBY, LLP, BUFFALO (JOSEPH W. DUNBAR OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANTS–RESPONDENTS.
ANTHONY P. COMUSO, PLAINTIFF–APPELLANT PRO SE.
GIBSON, MCASKILL & CROSBY, LLP, BUFFALO (JOSEPH W. DUNBAR OF COUNSEL), FOR DEFENDANTS–RESPONDENTS.
PRESENT: WHALEN, P.J., SMITH, LINDLEY, NEMOYER, AND CURRAN, JJ.
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
Memorandum:Supreme Court properly granted defendants' motion for summary judgment dismissing plaintiff's complaint for psychological malpractice. Defendants met their initial burden by establishing as a matter of law that, as a psychologist hired by plaintiff's employer for the sole purpose of assessing plaintiff's continued fitness for duty, defendant Jay A. Supnick did not have a doctor-patient relationship with plaintiff (see Gedon v. Bry–Lin Hosps., 286 A.D.2d 892, 893–894, 730 N.Y.S.2d 641 [4th Dept. 2001], lv denied 98 N.Y.2d 601, 744 N.Y.S.2d 761, 771 N.E.2d 834 [2002] ; Lee v. City of New York, 162 A.D.2d 34, 36–38, 560 N.Y.S.2d 700 [2d Dept. 1990], lv denied 78 N.Y.2d 863, 578 N.Y.S.2d 878, 586 N.E.2d 61 [1991] ; see generally Forrester v. Zwanger–Pesiri Radiology Group, 274 A.D.2d 374, 374, 710 N.Y.S.2d 620 [2d Dept. 2000] ). Plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact to defeat the motion (see generally Zuckerman v. City of New York, 49 N.Y.2d 557, 562, 427 N.Y.S.2d 595, 404 N.E.2d 718 [1980] ). Moreover, plaintiff makes no claim that Supnick affirmatively treated, advised, or injured him during the assessment (cf. Bazakos v. Lewis, 12 N.Y.3d 631, 634–635, 883 N.Y.S.2d 785, 911 N.E.2d 847 [2009] ; Heller v. Peekskill Community Hosp., 198 A.D.2d 265, 266, 603 N.Y.S.2d 548 [2d Dept. 1993] ). Thus, we conclude that "a cause of action sounding in [psychological] malpractice may not be maintained against the defendants" ( Lee, 162 A.D.2d at 38, 560 N.Y.S.2d 700 ; see Gedon, 286 A.D.2d at 893–894, 730 N.Y.S.2d 641 ).
It is hereby ORDERED that the order so appealed from is unanimously affirmed without costs.