NY Practice Flashcards
What is the term for the court in which an action is commenced?
Original Subject Matter Jurisdiction
If a court has general jurisdiction, what types of claims can it hear?
It has the power to hear any type of action.
“All purpose”
What is the only court in NY that has general SMJ?
Supreme Court (most important trial court).
Since the SC’s SMJ = general, its jurisdiction is unlimited with regard to …?
(1) Monetary Amount
(2) Ability to assert equity claims
(3) Residency of parties
(4) Place where COA arose.
Injunction, specific performance, mortgage foreclosure, accounting, contract recission and the imposition of a constructive trust - are all examples of what?
Equity claims.
Does it matter than neither party is a NY resident and that the cause of action has no relation to NY?
No - not a problem.
Forum non conveniens
The court has DISCRETION, upon motion, to dismiss the case on the ground of forum non conveniens when action LACKS SUBSTANTIAL NEXUS to NY.
Motion must be made by D.
What are the exceptions to SC’s general jurisdiction?
(1) Cases where federal law confers exclusive jurisdiction
(2) Claims for money damages in tort or contract against the STATE OF NY.
What is the Court of Claims?
Only court where claims against the State of NY can be brought.
What are the three areas the SC court has exclusive jurisdiction over?
(1) Matrimonial Action
(2) CPLR Article 78 Proceeding
(3) Declaratory Judgement Action
Which court has jurisdiction over matrimonial actions?
Supreme Court - it has EXCLUSIVE jurisdiction
What court has jurisdiction over cases involving judicial review of NY State and local government AGENCY ACTIONS?
Supreme Court - it has exclusive jurisdiction
What is a CPLR Article 78 proceeding?
Judicial review of STATE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION.
Judicial review of NY State and local government agency action. These actions are distinguished from claims against the State for money damages in tort/contract - which must be brought in Court of Claims
What court has jurisdiction over cases involving declaratory judgment actions?
SC has exclusive jurisdiction.
Declaratory judgment action are judicial declarations of the rights and obligations of the parties to an actual controversey before on of the engages in conduct that could cause liability.
What are the three areas the SC court has exclusive jurisdiction over?
(1) Matrimonial Action
(2) CPLR Article 78 Proceeding
(3) Declaratory Judgement Action
Which court has jurisdiction over matrimonial actions?
Supreme Court - it has EXCLUSIVE jurisdiction
What court has jurisdiction over cases involving judicial review of NY State and local government AGENCY ACTIONS?
Supreme Court - it has exclusive jurisdiction
What is a CPLR Article 78 proceeding?
Judicial review of STATE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION.
Judicial review of NY State and local government agency action. These actions are distinguished from claims against the State for money damages in tort/contract - which must be brought in Court of Claims
What court has jurisdiction over cases involving declaratory judgment actions?
SC has exclusive jurisdiction.
Declaratory judgment action are judicial declarations of the rights and obligations of the parties to an actual controversey before on of the engages in conduct that could cause liability.
If the D wants to challenge the timeliness of a case - what defense should he raise?
Statute of Limitations
Accrual
When SOL begins to “run.” Typically, when injury first occurs.
SOL for personal injury or property damage action.
3 years
SOL for breach of contract action
6 years
SOL is NOT measured from …
date that P discovers the injury, accrual occurs from the date of injury/breach EVEN IF P IS UNAWARE of injury.
Satisfying the SOL requires…
The action must be COMMENCED no later than the last day of the prescribed period of limitations.
Commencement consists of filing process.
What are the two exceptions to the standard medical malpractice SOL?
(1) Continuous treatment exception
(2) Foreign objections exception
What is the SOL period for medical malpractice?
2 1/2 years and the date of accrual runs from the date of malpractice.
If the P wants to assert a cause of action against a hospital for negligent hiring - what is the SOL?
3 YEARS. Because this is an ordinary negligence claim, NOT med mal.
Medical malpractice SOL applies to…
Doctors, dentists, podiatrists, nurses and hospitals
The last timely date for commencement of A’s action against Mercy Hospital on a theory of respondent superior (vicarious liability) is?
2 1/2 years. Same as required under typical medical malpractice case
What are the two exceptions to the standard medical malpractice SOL?
(1) Continuous treatment exception
(2) Foreign objections exception
If a physician continues to treat the patient, after an operation, for the exact same medical condition that gave rise to malpractice - what exception will likely apply?
Continuous treatment
P gets 2 1.2 years from END OF CONTINUOUS TREAMENT.
What is the foreign objections rule?
If the physician was responsible for introducing a foreign object into the patient’s body and then leaves it behind, P gets whichever is longer:
(1) 2 1/2 years from date of operation
(2) 1 year from date of discovery or date P should have discovered object with reasonable diligence.
What is a foreign object?
Something the doctor did not intend to leave behind (ex temporary surgical clamps, sponges).
Chemical substance, prosthetic devices and fixation devices are all examples of?
Items NOT CONSIDERED foreign objects.
All three exclusions, the SOL period runs not from date of discovery but from DATE OF DOCTOR’S Malpractice.
What professions can also be held liable for malpractice besides doctor’s?
Members of LEARNED PROFESSIONS, which includes architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys
BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE insurance brokers, securities analysts, plumbers, etc.
Non-medical malpractice SOL
EXCLUSIVELY 3 yrs.
What are the special procedures regarding personal injury actions against architects and engineers when action is brought MORE THAN 10 years after the building was completed?
(1) P must serve a notice of claim on the architect or engineer at least 90 days before suit
(2) P may obtain pre-action discovery from the potential D during the 90 day waiting period, and
(3) After suit is commenced, if D moves for SJ, the burden will be on P to make immediate evidentiary showing that there is a “substantial basis” to believe that D’s negligence was the proximate cause of injuries.
Municipal tort liability SOL
1 year, 90 days.
Municipal tort liability and separate “notice of claim” prerequisite.
Condition precedent to a tort action against a municipal D, P must serve a notice of claim on the potential municipal D no later than 90 days from the date of the accident.
If the P commences an action re municipal tort liability WITHOUT a timely notice of claim, what result?
D is entitled to have action dismissed on FTSC grounds.
After notice of claim is served (municipal tort), how long must P wait to commence the action?
Must wait 30 days.
P must plead compliance with notice of claim requirement, without which = FTSC.
What are the possible COAs for products liability?
(1) Negligence
(2) Strict Products Liability
(3) Breach of Warranty
What is the SOL regarding Products Liability claim for Negligence and/or Strict Products Liability?
Both = 3 yr SOL running from date of Ps injury
What is the SOL regarding Products Liability and a breach of warranty claim?
(governed by UCC) 4 year SOL begins to run when particular D MADE ITS DELIVERY OF THE PRODUCT.
SOL regarding indemnity/contribution claims.
SOL of 6 years running from the date of actual payment of the judgment for which indemnity or contribution is sought.
How is the SOL measured in a toxic substance cases?
(1) Discovery of the injury (when P becomes aware of symptoms)
OR
(2) Date injury should have been discovered with reasonable diligence.
Does the toxic substance discovery rule apply to med mal cases?
No.
What are the relevant tolls and extensions?
(1) Tolls for Ds absence
2) Tolls for legal disability (infancy and insanity
What are two legal disabilities that act to extend the SOL?
(1) Infancy and
(2) Insanity
When the disability ends, how long does the P have to sue?
IF ORIGINAL SOL WAS 3+ Years or more, whichever is longer of the two:
(a) Usual SOL period running from usual date of accrual, or
(b) 3 years from date legal disability ends
IF ORIGINAL SOL WAS LESS THAN 3 YEARS — when disability ends, P gets specified statutory period, measured from date disability ends.
What two situations have an outside limit of 10 years for commencement of the action?
(1) INFANCY & MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CLAIMS; when relying on the roll of infancy, claim for med mal must be commenced no later than 10 years from date of accrual.
(2) INSANE Ps REGARDLESS OF CLAIM, become time barred after 10 years.
What is a survival claim?
Any COA P could have brought herself if she were alive.
It is not limited to torts and recoverable damages include all damages incurred by P prior to death, eg pain and suffering.
What is a wrongful death claim?
Cause of action that is a TORT CLAIM for pecuniary (economic) damages of decedent’s statutory distributees.
Punitive damages are also recoverable BUT NOT THE emotional suffering of distributees or decedent’s personal pain and suffering.
What is the SOL for wrongful death action?
2 years from the date of death BUT IT MUST ALSO be shown that decedent possessed a timely cause of action of death.
What is the SOL for survival claims?
If P dies BEFORE SOL expires, the estate representative gets whichever is longer:
(a) The time remaining on the applicable SOL running from the date of accrual, or
(b) 1 year from Ps death.
What result when a potential D dies?
If potential D dies any time before SOL
expires, 18 months are always added to the relevant limitations period.
What is the effect of the 6-month grace period?
If NY action is timely commenced, but then dismissed AND at the time of dismissal the SOL has either EXPIRED of has less then 6 MONTHS remaining — P gets 6 months from date of dismissal to re-file the same action and serve process on same D.
What are 4 types of dismissals to which the 6 Month Grace Period does not apply?
(1) Dismissal on Merits
(2) Dismissal was Voluntarily Discontinued by P
(3) Dismissal based on P neglect to prosecute
(4) Dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction
Is a dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction entitled to the six month extension (grace period)?
Yes.
If the dismissal was due to a defect in the form of the summons - does 6 month extension apply?
NO - this is a defect of personal jurisdiction.
What is the purpose of the “borrowing statute?”
Intended to prevent forum shopping by non-resident Ps seeking a longer SOL in NY.
Under the borrowing statute, if P was a NON-RESIDENT of NY when a out of state claim arose, which SOL will apply?
WHICHEVER IS SHORTER.
NY Court will apply SOL of the state where CLAIM AROSE if the other state’s is shorter than that of NY.
NY SOL will apply if it is shorter than the other state’s SOL.
Under the borrowing statute, if P was a NY RESIDENT, when the out of state claim arose, which SOL will apply?
NY will always apply NY SOL regardless of which is short, when P is NY RESIDENT.
In addition to SMJ, what additional elements must be satisfied for NY Court to render a valid judgment?
(1) Proper commencement of the action
(2) Proper service of process on D, and
(3) Proper basis of jurisdiction over the person or property involved in the action.
When is an action commenced?
By Filing process with the clerk of the court. Followed by payment of a fee for the purchase of an index number. Followed by service of process on D provided service made within 120 days from filing with clerk.
What is process?
Summons and notice OR summons and complaint
What is the time limit for service of process?
120 days from date of filing with clerk.
Under what circumstances will the court use its discretion to extend the time to make service?
If P can demonstrate either:
(a) good cause, or (b) interests of justice.
What are the forms of process?
(a) Summons and complaint or
(b) Summons with notice.
If P files summons with notice, what does the notice consist of?
(1) Brief statement of nature of action
(2) Type of relief sought
(3) If damages sought, the amount of damages. (Note exception).
Exception - In a personal injury or wrongful death action, neither the notice nor complaint may specify the amount of damages being sought.
If P commences a “naked summons” - what result?
Naked = summons unaccompanied by either complaint or notice.
Result = defect in jurisdiction and action is subject to dismissal for that reason alone.
What is required of person who may serve process?
Must be at least 18 and not a party to the action.
When may process be served?
Any day of the week, EXCEPT
(a) Sunday or
(b) Saturday for sabbath observers
May service be made on a holiday?
Yes (provided it does not fall on a sunday).