Opinion
2018–08057 Index No. 5420/01
10-16-2019
Huseyin CAYAN, Respondent, v. Kristin S. SCHIERWAGEN, et al., Appellants, et al., Defendant.
Jacobson & Schwartz, LLP, Jericho, N.Y. (Henry J. Cernitz of counsel), for appellants.
Jacobson & Schwartz, LLP, Jericho, N.Y. (Henry J. Cernitz of counsel), for appellants.
MARK C. DILLON, J.P. JEFFREY A. COHEN FRANCESCA E. CONNOLLY VALERIE BRATHWAITE NELSON, JJ.
DECISION & ORDER
In an action to recover damages for personal injuries, the defendants Kristin S. Schierwagen and Reinhold Schierwagen appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Suffolk County (Denise F. Molia, J.), dated February 20, 2018. The order, insofar as appealed from, denied those defendants' motion pursuant to CPLR 3216 to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against them for failure to prosecute.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed insofar as appealed from, without costs or disbursements.
Contrary to the contention of the defendants Kristin S. Schierwagen and Reinhold Schierwagen (hereinafter together the Schierwagens), the Supreme Court providently exercised its discretion in denying their motion pursuant to CPLR 3216 to dismiss the complaint insofar as asserted against them for failure to prosecute.
CPLR 3216 is "extremely forgiving" ( Baczkowski v. Collins Constr. Co., 89 N.Y.2d 499, 503, 655 N.Y.S.2d 848, 678 N.E.2d 460 ) in that it " ‘never requires, but merely authorizes, the Supreme Court to dismiss a plaintiff's action based on the plaintiff's unreasonable neglect to proceed’ " ( Altman v. Donnenfeld, 119 A.D.3d 828, 828, 990 N.Y.S.2d 542, quoting Davis v. Goodsell, 6 A.D.3d 382, 383, 774 N.Y.S.2d 568 ; see CPLR 3216[a],[e] ; Baczkowski v. Collins Constr. Co., 89 N.Y.2d at 504–505, 655 N.Y.S.2d 848, 678 N.E.2d 460 ; Vera v. New York El. & Elec. Corp., 150 A.D.3d 927, 55 N.Y.S.3d 114 ; Kadyimov v. MacKinnon, 82 A.D.3d 938, 918 N.Y.S.2d 770 ).
Here, the plaintiff demonstrated both a justifiable excuse for failing to proceed and the existence of a potentially meritorious cause of action (see Altman v. Donnenfeld, 119 A.D.3d at 828, 990 N.Y.S.2d 542 ). Accordingly, we agree with the Supreme Court's determination to deny the Schierwagens' motion.
DILLON, J.P., COHEN, CONNOLLY and BRATHWAITE NELSON, JJ., concur.