Opinion
No. 2013–530QC.
2014-08-20
ULTIMATE HEALTH PRODUCTS, INC. as Assignee of Carlos Martinez, Appellant, v. AMERICAN TRANSIT INS. CO., Respondent.
Present: PESCE, P.J., ALIOTTA and SOLOMON, JJ.
Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Queens County (William A. Viscovich, J.), entered January 18, 2013. The order implicitly denied plaintiff's motion for summary judgment and granted defendant's cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.
ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with $25 costs.
Ultimate Health Products, Inc. (Ultimate Health) commenced this action in the Civil Court, Queens County, to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits for supplies provided to its assignor as a result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. While this no-fault action was pending, defendant, American Transit Insurance Company (American Transit), commenced a declaratory judgment action in Supreme Court, New York County, against Ultimate Health and its assignor, among others, alleging that the assignor had breached the terms of the insurance policy by failing to appear for duly scheduled examinations under oath and that, as a result, American Transit is not obligated to pay any claims for first-party no-fault benefits submitted by Ultimate Health as assignee of Carlos Martinez arising from the car accident in question. In December of 2011, plaintiff moved in the Civil Court for summary judgment. On May 15, 2012, the Supreme Court awarded American Transit a declaratory judgment on default. American Transit subsequently cross-moved in the Civil Court, pursuant to CPLR 3211(a)(5), to dismiss plaintiff's action, contending that this action is barred by virtue of the declaratory judgment. Plaintiff opposed defendant's cross motion and now appeals from an order of the Civil Court, entered January 18, 2013, which implicitly denied plaintiff's motion for summary judgment and granted defendant's cross motion dismissing the complaint.
The Supreme Court determined that Ultimate Health's assignor was not an eligible injured person entitled to no-fault benefits under the applicable policy, and that American Transit was not obligated to pay claims submitted by Ultimate Health as assignee of Carlos Martinez in any current or future proceedings arising under that policy from the car accident in question. In light of the declaratory judgment, the present action is barred under the doctrine of res judicata ( see EBM Med. Health Care, P.C. v. Republic W. Ins., 38 Misc.3d 1 [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2012]; Ava Acupuncture, P.C. v. N.Y. Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 34 Misc.3d 149[A], 2012 N.Y. Slip Op 50233[U] [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2012]; SZ Med., P.C. v. Erie Ins. Co., 24 Misc.3d 126[A], 2009 N.Y. Slip Op 51221[U] [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2009] ), as any judgment in favor of plaintiff in this action would destroy or impair rights or interests established by the Supreme Court declaratory judgment ( see Schuylkill Fuel Corp. v. Nieberg Realty Corp., 250 N.Y. 304, 306–307 [1929]; SZ Med., P.C. v. Erie Ins. Co., 24 Misc.3d 126[A], 2009 N.Y. Slip Op 51221[U] ). Plaintiff's remaining arguments lack merit or were not preserved for appeal.
Accordingly, the order is affirmed.