Opinion
8454 Index 22577/13E
02-21-2019
Norma FOWLER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Salvatore D. BUFFA, M.D., et al., Defendants-Respondents, Surgicare Ambulatory Center, Inc., Defendant.
Law Office of Robert F. Danzi, Jericho (Christine Coscia of counsel), for appellant. Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP, New York (Barbara D. Goldberg of counsel), for Salvatore D. Buffa, M.D., Victoria A. Brand, CRNA and Alliance Anesthesiology Associates, P.L.L.C., respondents. Ekblom & Partners, LLP, New York (Deborah I. Meyer of counsel), for Anurag Shrivastava, M.D., respondent.
Law Office of Robert F. Danzi, Jericho (Christine Coscia of counsel), for appellant.
Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP, New York (Barbara D. Goldberg of counsel), for Salvatore D. Buffa, M.D., Victoria A. Brand, CRNA and Alliance Anesthesiology Associates, P.L.L.C., respondents.
Ekblom & Partners, LLP, New York (Deborah I. Meyer of counsel), for Anurag Shrivastava, M.D., respondent.
Renwick, J.P., Tom, Singh, Moulton, JJ.
The trial court did not err in precluding a disability insurance form alleged to contain a statement against interest from defendant Anurag Shrivastava, M.D. The imposition of sanctions for discovery misfeasance is a matter better left to the sound discretion of the trial court (see Gomez v. New York City Hous. Auth., 217 A.D.2d 110, 114, 636 N.Y.S.2d 271 [1st Dept. 1995] ). CPLR 3101 provides that there shall be full disclosure of all matter material and necessary in the prosecution or defense of an action, including a party's own statements (see also Sands v. News Am. Publ., 161 A.D.2d 30, 42, 560 N.Y.S.2d 416 [1st Dept. 1990] ). Plaintiff's disclosure of the document less than two days prior to trial was an unfair surprise for which no reasonable excuse was proffered (see Curbean v. Kibel, 12 A.D.3d 206, 207, 784 N.Y.S.2d 518 [1st Dept. 2004] ; Ward v. Mehar, 264 A.D.2d 515, 516, 694 N.Y.S.2d 726 [2d Dept. 1999] ).
We have considered plaintiff's remaining contentions and find them unavailing.