Opinion
August 10, 1987
Appeal from the Supreme Court, Kings County (Pizzuto, J.).
Ordered that the order is reversed insofar as appealed from, on the law, with costs, appellants' respective cross motions are granted unconditionally, and the complaint is dismissed as against the appellants.
In their opposition to the appellants' cross motions, the plaintiffs did not establish a reasonable excuse for their failure to comply with two prior conditional orders of preclusion (see, Schicchi v. Green Constr. Corp., 100 A.D.2d 509; Hatch v St. Joseph's Hosp., 93 A.D.2d 999). In addition to setting forth a reasonable excuse for their default, the plaintiffs were required to provide an affidavit of merit by a person competent to attest to the meritorious nature of their claim. In this medical malpractice action, the plaintiffs failed to produce expert medical opinion evidence in a physician's affidavit to demonstrate the merits of the cause of action (see, Fiore v Galang, 105 A.D.2d 970, affd 64 N.Y.2d 999; Amodeo v. Radler, 89 A.D.2d 594, affd 59 N.Y.2d 1001).
Given the inordinate delay herein, we find that dismissal of the complaint as against the appellants is a more appropriate sanction. Mangano, J.P., Bracken, Kunzeman and Harwood, JJ., concur.