X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Fern E. De Jonge, Brooklyn, for appellant. Burke, Scolamiero & Hurd, LLP, Albany (Monique B. McBride of counsel), for respondent. (1) Appeal from an order of the Supreme Court (Kimberly A. O’Connor, J.), entered April 18, 2022 in Albany County, which, among other things, directed defendant to produce certain records for an in camera inspection, (2) appeal from an order of said court, entered July 8, 2022 in Albany County, which, among other things, granted defendant’s cross-motion for a protective order, and (3) motion to dismiss the appeals. Plaintiff — individually and as administrator of the estate of Lynette A. Schultz (hereinafter decedent) — commenced this action against defendant, alleging claims of medical malpractice and wrongful death based upon the medical care and treatment decedent received while a patient at defendant. In the course of pretrial discovery, plaintiff moved to strike defendant’s answer or, in the alternative, compel defendant to comply with outstanding discovery demands. Defendant opposed the motion and cross- moved for, among other thing, a protective order in relation to an alleged privileged incident/accident report and to quash a subpoena. Supreme Court, by decision entered April 18, 2022, ordered defendant to produce the incident/accident report within 15 days for in camera review, but otherwise found that all discovery demands had been met. As such, the court, among other things, denied plaintiff’s motion to compel and granted defendant’s cross-motion to the extent of quashing the subpoena. Following the in camera inspection of the incident/accident report, Supreme Court, by order entered July 8, 2022, found that the report was prepared in connection with defendant’s quality assurance review program and fell within the protection of Education Law § 6527 (3) and Public Health Law § 2805-m and, therefore, was privileged and not subject to disclosure. As such, the court, among other things, granted defendant’s motion for a protective order. Plaintiff appeals from both orders. By order entered in August 2023, Supreme Court granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint and defendant has moved to dismiss the appeals as moot in light of this subsequent order.[1] However, we need not address the merits of defendant’s motion or plaintiff’s appeals, as the right to appeal from the nonfinal orders was extinguished upon entry of the final order and, on that basis, we dismiss the appeals (see Matter of Aho, 39 NY2d 241, 248 [1976]; Prendergast v. Swiencicky, 183 AD3d 945, 946 n 1 [3d Dept 2020], lv denied 36 NY3d 944 [2020]; Matter of Ruhle, 173 AD3d 1389, 1392 [3d Dept 2019]; Artibee v. State of New York, 165 AD3d 1575, 1576 [3d Dept 2018]). As a result, defendant’s motion to dismiss the appeals on mootness grounds is rendered academic. Clark, J.P., Aarons and Reynolds Fitzgerald, JJ., concur. ORDERED that the appeals from the orders entered April 18, 2022 and July 8, 2022 are dismissed, without costs. ORDERED that the motion is denied, as academic, without costs.

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

More From ALM

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
November 13, 2024
New York, NY

Honoring outstanding legal achievements focused at the national level, largely around Big Law and in-house departments.


Learn More
November 14, 2024
New York, NY

Women Leaders in Consulting Awards honors the industry standouts and rising stars who are making a mark within the profession.


Learn More
November 18, 2024 - November 19, 2024
New York, NY

Join General Counsel and Senior Legal Leaders at the Premier Forum Designed For and by General Counsel from Fortune 1000 Companies


Learn More

Boutique union side labor law firm seeks an entry level attorney that can thrive in a fast paced practice that is growing at a rapid rate. E...


Apply Now ›

Our client, a highly distinguished regional law firm, is seeking to hire a Capital Markets Associate for their growing office. Candidates s...


Apply Now ›

Carlton Fields is seeking an associate to join our Hartford office with three to five years of construction litigation experience. Excellent...


Apply Now ›