From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Strujan v. State Farm Ins.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.
Mar 12, 2015
126 A.D.3d 482 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015)

Opinion

14474, 400526/11

03-12-2015

Elena STRUJAN, Plaintiff–Respondent, v. STATE FARM INSURANCES, Defendant–Appellant, John/Jane Doe, Defendant.

Rivkin Radler LLP, Uniondale (Brian L. Bank of counsel), for appellant. Elena Strujan, respondent pro se.


Rivkin Radler LLP, Uniondale (Brian L. Bank of counsel), for appellant.

Elena Strujan, respondent pro se.

Opinion

Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Richard F. Braun, J.), entered February 13, 2014, which, insofar as appealed from, denied defendant State Farm Insurances' motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, unanimously affirmed, without costs.

The record on appeal comports with the requirements of CPLR 5526, as it includes the documents specifically required thereunder. The documents the pro se plaintiff references that are missing pertain primarily to her prior motions and were not before the motion court in deciding the subject motion for summary judgment.

Defendant failed to meet its prima facie burden of establishing that plaintiff's personal property loss resulted from a cause other than a named peril under the policy (see Garnar v. New York Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 96 A.D.3d 715, 946 N.Y.S.2d 199 [2d Dept.2012] ). An “Explosion” is a named peril under the policy, and the record supports the conclusion that a steam explosion took place in plaintiff's building, which released toxic gas into her apartment. That plaintiff may have subsequently abandoned or donated damaged property does not satisfy defendant's initial burden.

It is noted, however, that as the motion court found, plaintiff is not entitled to any further additional living expenses under the renter's policy.

We have considered the remaining contentions and find them unavailing.

GONZALEZ, P.J., TOM, RICHTER, MANZANET–DANIELS, KAPNICK, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Strujan v. State Farm Ins.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.
Mar 12, 2015
126 A.D.3d 482 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015)
Case details for

Strujan v. State Farm Ins.

Case Details

Full title:Elena STRUJAN, Plaintiff–Respondent, v. STATE FARM INSURANCES…

Court:Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, New York.

Date published: Mar 12, 2015

Citations

126 A.D.3d 482 (N.Y. App. Div. 2015)
2015 N.Y. Slip Op. 1978
2 N.Y.S.3d 795