# Morang v. New York City Tr. Auth.

> New York Supreme Court, New York County · March 27, 2024 · 2024 NY Slip Op 31022(U)

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9956342

## Case

- **Court:** New York Supreme Court, New York County
- **Decided:** March 27, 2024
- **Citations:** 2024 NY Slip Op 31022(U)
- **Precedential status:** Unpublished
- **Opinion:** Opinion
- **Cited by:** 0 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9956342

## Opinion text

Morang v New York City Tr. Auth.
2024 NY Slip Op 31022(U)
March 27, 2024
Supreme Court, New York County
Docket Number: Index No. 157780/2012
Judge: Adam Silvera
Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip
Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York
State and local government sources, including the New
York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service.
This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official
publication.
INDEX NO. 157780/2012
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 226 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/27/2024

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
NEW YORK COUNTY
PRESENT: HON. ADAM SILVERA PART 40
Justice
----X INDEX NO. 157780/2012
MICHELLE MORANG
MOTION DATE 09/01/2023
Plaintiff,
MOTION SEQ. NO. 007
- V -

THE NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY, DECISION + ORDER ON
MOTION
Defendant.
----------------------------------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 007) 201, 202, 203, 204,
205,206,207,212,214,215,216,217,218,219,220,221,224,225
were read on this motion to/for REARGUMENT/RECONSIDERATION

Upon the foregoing documents, it is ordered that defendant New York City Transit

Authority's motion to reargue this Court's prior Decision/Order dated July 3, 2023 (hereinafter

referred to as the "Prior Decision"), and to vacate such order, is denied for the reasons set forth

below.

Plaintiff commenced this action against defendant, by summons and complaint seeking

monetary damages for personal injuries resulting from an accident which allegedly occurred

when plaintiffs foot fell into the gap between the train and the platform. In the Prior Decision,

this Court determined that the plaintiff had established that the documents requested in plaintiffs

demands were material and necessary, and ordered plaintiff to be permitted to inspect

defendant's security camera center. Here, defendant moves to reargue the Prior Decision, and

seeks, upon reargument, for the vacatur of the order to produce discovery and an inspection.

157780/2012 MORANG, MICHELLE vs. TRANSIT AUTHORITY Page 1 of 4
Motion No. 007

1 of 4
[* 1]
INDEX NO. 157780/2012
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 226 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/27/2024

Defendant does not seek to reargue the portion of the Prior Decision with regards to the qualified

immunity defense. Defendant argues that as the Court's Prior Decision did not explicitly state the

outstanding discovery, the Court could not have determined that the unspecified discovery was

material and necessary. Defendant further argues that the Court erred in ordering defendant to

permit plaintiff to inspect defendant's secured video security center as sufficient affidavits were

provided by defendant on this issue. Plaintiff opposes and defendant replies.

CPLR 2221 (d)(2) permits a party to move for leave to reargue a decision upon a showing

that the court misapprehended the law in rendering its initial decision. "A motion for leave to

reargue pursuant to CPLR 2221 is addressed to the sound discretion of the court and may be

granted only upon a showing that the court overlooked or misapprehended the facts or the law or

for some reason mistakenly arrived at its earlier decision." William P. Pahl Equip. Corp. v

Kassis, 182 AD2d 22, 27 (1 st Dep't 1992), appeal denied in part, dismissed in part 80 NY2d

1005 (1992) (internal quotations omitted).

The Court notes that defendant failed to establish that the Court, in the Prior Decision,

misapprehended or overlooked the facts or law in ordering discovery. In fact, the Court clearly

stated that a determination was made that the discovery requested by plaintiff was material and

necessary. Although defendant argues herein that the Court could not have evaluated the

relevancy of the requested discovery as the Court did not explicitly list the discovery, such

argument fails. In the prior motion, Plaintiffs Combined Demands for Discovery dated July 21,

2015 and plaintiffs Second Set of Combined Demands dated May 18, 2018 were readily

available for the Court's review. In fact, plaintiff's discovery demands were proffered by

defendant in support of the prior motion. Having reviewed plaintiff's requested discovery, the

157780/2012 MORANG, MICHELLE vs. TRANSIT AUTHORITY Page 2 of 4
Motion No. 007

2 of 4
[* 2]
INDEX NO. 157780/2012
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 226 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/27/2024

Court found that such discovery was material and necessary. Here, defendant fails to

demonstrate any misapprehension in the Prior Decision.

With regards to defendant's argument relating to the video security center, the Court

notes that defendant's arguments regarding the sufficiency of the affidavits submitted in the prior

motion also fails. The Court, in the Prior Decision, explicitly held, after review of such

affidavits, that "defendant Transit Authority does not dispute that it failed to provide an affidavit

as ordered by Judge Adams in February of 2020. Moreover, the affidavits of Mr. Boychuk,

proffered herein, is insufficient to establish that there were no cameras capable of capturing the

instant accident." Prior Decision, p. 4. In fact, "Mr. Boychuk's affidavit specifically states that

there is one camera that is capable of capturing the location of the accident." Id. Here, defendant

has failed to demonstrate that the Court misapprehended the law or facts in ordering an

inspection of the video security center.

Accordingly, it is

ORDERED that the defendant's motion to reargue is denied in its entirety; and it is

further

ORDERED that, within 30 days, plaintiff shall serve defendant with a supplemental

discovery demand detailing all the outstanding documentary discovery; and it is further

ORDERED that defendant shall respond to plaintiff's supplemental discovery demand

within 90 days thereafter; and it is further

ORDERED that defendant's counsel shall arrange with plaintiff's counsel for a site

inspection to take place within 90 days; and it is further

ORDERED that, within 30 days of entry, plaintiff shall serve upon all parties a copy of

157780/2012 MORANG, MICHELLE vs. TRANSIT AUTHORITY Page 3 of 4
Motion No. 007

3 of 4
[* 3]
INDEX NO. 157780/2012
NYSCEF DOC. NO. 226 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 03/27/2024

this decision and order, together with notice of entry.

This constitutes the Decision and Order of the Court.

3/27/2024
DATE ADAM SILVERA, J.S.C.

~
CHECK ONE: CASE DISPOSED NON-FINAL DISPOSITION

GRANTED 0 DENIED GRANTED IN PART □ OTHER
APPLICATION: SETTLE ORDER SUBMIT ORDER

CHECK IF APPROPRIATE: INCLUDES TRANSFER/REASSIGN FIDUCIARY APPOINTMENT □ REFERENCE

157780/2012 MORANG, MICHELLE vs. TRANSIT AUTHORITY Page 4 of 4
Motion No. 007

4 of 4
[* 4]

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9956342. Public record. Not legal advice.
