Opinion
Case No. 1:15-CV-934 (GTS/CFH)
09-15-2015
CLATHINA McMILLAN-HOYTE, As Administrator of the Estate of Henderson Hoyte, Deceased and Clathina McMillan-Hoye, Individually, Plaintiff, v. TREVOR BLACK; BASIL SAOUR; ALEXANDRA PAUL; LORRAINE THIBODEAU; MICHAEL DAILEY; SAMIRA KHAN MANJI; JOHN GERMAN; ALBANY MED. CTR. HOSP.; PADMAJA MANDALA; WHITNEY M. YOUNG JR. HEALTH CTR,, INC.; ADAM SUSLAK; NORTHEAST ORTHOPAEDICS LLP; PAUL DANKER; and ALBANY MEM'L HOSP., Defendants.
APPEARANCES: GAIR, GAIR, CONASON, STEIGMAN, MACKAUF, BLOOM & RUBINOWITZ Counsel for Plaintiff 80 Pine Street, 34th Floor New York, NY 10005 MAYNARD, O'CONNOR, SMITH & CATALINOTTO LLP Counsel for Defendants Black, Saour, Paul, Thibodeau, Dailey, Manji, German, and Albany Med. Ctr. Hosp. 6 Tower Place Albany, NY 12203 HON. RICHARD S. HARTUNIAN United States Attorney for the N.D.N.Y. Counsel for Defendants Mandala and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Ctr., Inc. 445 Broadway, James T. Foley Courthouse Albany, NY 12201 OF COUNSEL: JEFFREY B. BLOOM, ESQ. ALEXANDER L. STABINSKI, ESQ. ROBERT A. RAUSCH, ESQ. CATHLEEN B. CLARK, ESQ. Assistant U.S. Attorney THORN GERSHON TYMANN AND BONANNI, LLP Counsel for Defendants Suslak and Northeast Orthopaedics LLP 5 Wembley Court, New Karner Road P.O. Box 15054 Albany, NY 12212-5054 O'CONNOR O'CONNOR BRESEE & FIRST PC Counsel for Defendant Danker 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard Albany, NY 12211 MAGUIRE CARDONA, PC. Counsel for Defendant Albany Mem'l Hosp. 16 Sage Estate Menands, NY 12204 KATHLEEN M. RYAN, ESQ. TERENCE P. O'CONNOR, ESQ. AMANDA K. KURYLUK, ESQ. RICHARD R. MAGUIRE, ESQ. RANDALL J. EZICK, ESQ.
APPEARANCES: GAIR, GAIR, CONASON, STEIGMAN,
MACKAUF, BLOOM & RUBINOWITZ
Counsel for Plaintiff
80 Pine Street, 34th Floor
New York, NY 10005
MAYNARD, O'CONNOR, SMITH &
CATALINOTTO LLP
Counsel for Defendants Black, Saour, Paul,
Thibodeau, Dailey, Manji, German, and
Albany Med. Ctr. Hosp.
6 Tower Place
Albany, NY 12203
HON. RICHARD S. HARTUNIAN
United States Attorney for the N.D.N.Y.
Counsel for Defendants Mandala and
Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Ctr., Inc.
445 Broadway, James T. Foley Courthouse
Albany, NY 12201
OF COUNSEL: JEFFREY B. BLOOM, ESQ. ALEXANDER L. STABINSKI, ESQ.
ROBERT A. RAUSCH, ESQ.
CATHLEEN B. CLARK, ESQ.
Assistant U.S. Attorney
THORN GERSHON TYMANN AND
BONANNI, LLP
Counsel for Defendants Suslak and Northeast
Orthopaedics LLP
5 Wembley Court, New Karner Road
P.O. Box 15054
Albany, NY 12212-5054
O'CONNOR O'CONNOR BRESEE &
FIRST PC
Counsel for Defendant Danker
20 Corporate Woods Boulevard
Albany, NY 12211
MAGUIRE CARDONA, PC.
Counsel for Defendant Albany Mem'l Hosp.
16 Sage Estate
Menands, NY 12204
KATHLEEN M. RYAN, ESQ. TERENCE P. O'CONNOR, ESQ. AMANDA K. KURYLUK, ESQ.
RICHARD R. MAGUIRE, ESQ.
RANDALL J. EZICK, ESQ.
GLENN T. SUDDABY, United States District Judge DECISION and ORDER
Currently before the Court, in the above-captioned personal injury action, are the following two motions: (1) a motion by Defendants Padmaja Mandala and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, Inc., pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680, to substitute the United States for the two moving Defendants, and to dismiss Plaintiff's claims against the United States for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction; and (2) a cross-motion by Plaintiff to dismiss Plaintiff's claims against the United States only without prejudice (to permit Plaintiff to exhaust her administrative remedies regarding that claim) and to remand the remainder of this action to New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c). (Dkt. Nos. 6, 28.)
Both motions are unopposed. (Dkt. Nos. 26 [Response of Plaintiff], 27 [Response of Danker], 29 [Response of Albany Mem'l Hosp.], 30 [Response of Suslak and Northeast Orthopaedics, LLP], 31 [Response of Black, Saour, Paul, Thibodeau, Dailey, Manji, German, and Albany Med. Ctr. Hosp.]; see also Text Notice of 08/31/2015 [setting deadline for Mandala and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, Inc.'s reply to Plaintiff's cross-motion as 09/08/2015].)
In this District, when a non-movant fails to oppose a legal argument asserted by a movant, the movant's burden with regard to that argument is lightened, such that, in order to succeed on that argument, the movant need only show that the argument possess facial merit, which has appropriately been characterized as a "modest" burden. See N.D.N.Y. L.R. 7.1(b)(3) ("Where a properly filed motion is unopposed and the Court determined that the moving party has met to demonstrate entitlement to the relief requested therein . . . ."); Rusyniak v. Gensini, 07-CV-0279, 2009 WL 3672105, at *1, n.1 (N.D.N.Y. Oct. 30, 2009) (Suddaby, J.) (collecting cases); Este-Green v. Astrue, 09-CV-0722, 2009 WL2473509, at *2 & nn.2, 3 (N.D.N.Y. Aug. 7, 2009) (Suddaby, J.) (collecting cases).
Here, after carefully considering the matter, the Court finds that both motions possess facial merit for the reasons stated therein. (Dkt. Nos. 6, 28.) As a result, the Court grants those motions.
ACCORDINGLY, it is
ORDERED that the motion of Defendants Padmaja Mandala and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, Inc., pursuant to the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-2680, to substitute the United States for the two moving Defendants, and to dismiss Plaintiff's claims against the United States for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction (Dkt. No. 6) is GRANTED ; and it is further
ORDERED that the cross-motion of Plaintiff to dismiss her claims against the United States only without prejudice (to permit Plaintiff to exhaust her administrative remedies regarding that claim) and to remand the remainder of this action to New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c) (Dkt. No. 28) is GRANTED ; and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk of this Court shall SUBSTITUTE the United States for Defendants Padmaja Mandala and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center, Inc.; and it is further
ORDERED that Plaintiff's claims against the United States are DISMISSED without prejudice to refiling upon exhaustion of her administrative remedies; and it is further
ORDERED that, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1447(c), this action is REMANDED to New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, in its entirety without costs and expenses to either party; and it is further
ORDERED that the Clerk of this Court shall forward a certified copy of this Decision and Order to the Clerk of New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, and CLOSE this action. Dated: September 15, 2015
Syracuse, New York
/s/_________
Hon. Glenn T. Suddaby
Chief, U.S. District Judge