Opinion
January 28, 1993
Appeal from the Supreme Court, Bronx County (Barry Salman, J.).
In this action for damages by the infant plaintiff as a result of lead poisoning allegedly caused by defendants' negligent maintenance of her residence, defendants appeal from that part of Supreme Court's order which refused to compel certain disclosure. While the records sought might be relevant, disclosure was properly denied. The medical records of the sibling are indisputably privileged material (Wepy v. Shen, 175 A.D.2d 124), a privilege that was not waived, and, we note, could not be waived by any party to this action on his behalf (Sibley v. Hayes 73 Corp., 126 A.D.2d 629, 630). With respect to the mother's academic records, while this material is not privileged, only the mother, a nonparty to this action, can provide the authorization sought by defendants (see, CPLR 3101 [a] [4]). Finally, by bringing a derivative suit, the plaintiff guardian has not put her mental or physical condition in controversy and thereby waived her privilege protecting her medical records (see, Dalley v LaGuardia Hosp., 130 A.D.2d 543, 544; Williams v. Roosevelt Hosp., 66 N.Y.2d 391).
Concur — Carro, J.P., Milonas, Ellerin, Kupferman and Rubin, JJ.