STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1024
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to
"economic loss" and damages for health care costs in actions for
medical, dental or podiatric malpractice
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1600 of the civil practice law and rules, as added
2 by chapter 682 of the laws of 1986, is amended to read as follows:
3 § 1600. Definitions. 1. As used in this article the term "non-economic
4 loss" includes but is not limited to pain and suffering, mental anguish,
5 loss of consortium or other damages for non-economic loss.
6 2. As used in this article, the term "economic loss" includes but is
7 not limited to the cost of medical care, dental care, custodial care,
8 rehabilitation services, loss of earnings, or other similar damages for
9 economic loss.
10 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 1601 of the civil practice law and
11 rules, as amended by chapter 635 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read
12 as follows:
13 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a verdict or deci-
14 sion in an action or claim for personal injury is determined in favor of
15 a claimant in an action involving two or more tortfeasors jointly liable
16 or in a claim against the state and the liability of a defendant is
17 found to be fifty percent or less of the total liability assigned to all
18 persons liable, the liability of such defendant to the claimant for
19 non-economic loss and economic loss shall not exceed that defendant's
20 equitable share determined in accordance with the relative culpability
21 of each person causing or contributing to the total liability for non-e-
22 conomic loss and economic loss; provided, however that the culpable
23 conduct of any person not a party to the action shall not be considered
24 in determining any equitable share herein if the claimant proves that
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02703-01-3
S. 1024 2
1 with due diligence he or she was unable to obtain jurisdiction over such
2 person in said action (or in a claim against the state, in a court of
3 this state); and further provided that the culpable conduct of any
4 person shall not be considered in determining any equitable share herein
5 to the extent that action against such person is barred because the
6 claimant has not sustained a "grave injury" as defined in section eleven
7 of the workers' compensation law.
8 § 3. Section 3012-a of the civil practice law and rules, as amended by
9 chapter 507 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:
10 § 3012-a. [Certificate] Affidavit of merit in medical, dental and
11 podiatric malpractice actions. (a) In any action for medical, dental or
12 podiatric malpractice, the complaint shall be accompanied by [a certif-
13 icate, executed by the attorney for the plaintiff, declaring] an affida-
14 vit of merit executed by a healthcare professional who the plaintiff's
15 attorney or, the plaintiff if not represented by an attorney, reasonably
16 believes is knowledgeable in the relevant issues involved in the partic-
17 ular action to be an expert physician in a medical malpractice action,
18 an expert dentist in a dental malpractice action or an expert podiatrist
19 in a podiatric malpractice action, stating that[:
20 (1) the attorney has reviewed the facts of the case and has consulted
21 with at least one physician in medical malpractice actions, at least one
22 dentist in dental malpractice actions or at least one podiatrist in
23 podiatric malpractice actions who is licensed to practice in this state
24 or any other state and who the attorney reasonably believes is know-
25 ledgeable in the relevant issues involved in the particular action, and
26 that the attorney has concluded on the basis of such review and consul-
27 tation that there is a reasonable basis for the commencement of such
28 action; or
29 (2) the attorney was unable to obtain the consultation required by
30 paragraph one of this subdivision because a limitation of time, estab-
31 lished by article two of this chapter, would bar the action and that the
32 certificate required by paragraph one of this subdivision could not
33 reasonably be obtained before such time expired. If a certificate is
34 executed pursuant to this subdivision, the certificate required by this
35 section shall be filed within ninety days after service of the
36 complaint; or
37 (3) the attorney was unable to obtain the consultation required by
38 paragraph one of this subdivision because the attorney had made three
39 separate good faith attempts with three separate physicians, dentists or
40 podiatrists, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph one of this
41 subdivision to obtain such consultation and none of those contacted
42 would agree to such a consultation] the physician in a medical malprac-
43 tice action, or the dentist in a dental malpractice action, or the
44 podiatrist in a podiatric malpractice action has reviewed the complaint
45 in the malpractice action and all medical records supplied by the
46 plaintiff's attorney, or plaintiff if not represented by an attorney,
47 and states each of the following with individual particularization to
48 the specifically named defendant or defendants:
49 (1) The applicable standard of practice or care concerning the allega-
50 tions contained in the complaint.
51 (2) The applicable standard of practice or care breached.
52 (3) The actions that should have been taken or omitted in order to
53 have complied with the applicable standard of care.
54 (4) The manner in which the breach of the standard of practice or care
55 was the proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury.
S. 1024 3
1 (b) [Where a certificate is required pursuant to this section, a
2 single certificate shall be filed for each action, even if more than one
3 defendant has been named in the complaint or is subsequently named]
4 Where an affidavit of merit is required pursuant to this section, an
5 individual affidavit shall be filed for each named defendant who is a
6 physician, dentist or podiatrist named in the complaint.
7 (c) Where the attorney intends to rely solely on the doctrine of "res
8 ipsa loquitur", this section shall be inapplicable. In such cases, the
9 complaint shall be accompanied by [a certificate] an affidavit, executed
10 by the attorney, declaring that the attorney is solely relying on such
11 doctrine and, for that reason, is not filing [a certificate] the affida-
12 vit of merit required by this section.
13 (d) [If a request by the plaintiff for the records of the plaintiff's
14 medical or dental treatment by the defendants has been made and such
15 records have not been produced, the plaintiff shall not be required to
16 serve the certificate required by this section until ninety days after
17 such records have been produced] The plaintiff may, in lieu of serving
18 the affidavit of merit required by this section, provide the defendant
19 or defendants with the information required by paragraph one of subdivi-
20 sion (d) of section thirty-one hundred one of this chapter within the
21 period of time prescribed by this section, provided that the disclosure
22 be executed by the physician in a medical malpractice action, or the
23 dentist in a dental malpractice action, or the podiatrist in a podiatric
24 malpractice action who has reviewed the complaint in the malpractice
25 action and all medical records supplied by the plaintiff's attorney.
26 (e) [For purposes of this section, and subject to the provisions of
27 section thirty-one hundred one of this chapter, an attorney who submits
28 a certificate as required by paragraph one or two of subdivision (a) of
29 this section and the physician, dentist or podiatrist with whom the
30 attorney consulted shall not be required to disclose the identity of the
31 physician, dentist or podiatrist consulted and the contents of such
32 consultation; provided, however, that when the attorney makes a claim
33 under paragraph three of subdivision (a) of this section that he was
34 unable to obtain the required consultation with the physician, dentist
35 or podiatrist, the court may, upon the request of a defendant made prior
36 to compliance by the plaintiff with the provisions of section thirty-one
37 hundred of this chapter, require the attorney to divulge to the court
38 the names of physicians, dentists or podiatrists refusing such consulta-
39 tion] The plaintiff's attorney or, the plaintiff if not represented by
40 an attorney, may with good cause shown, file a motion to extend the
41 period of time to file the required affidavit of merit. The motion shall
42 be filed together with the complaint. The court may grant reasonable
43 time to file the affidavit of merit, not to exceed ninety days, except
44 the time may be extended beyond ninety days if the court determines that
45 a defendant or non-party has failed to cooperate with access to medical
46 or dental records necessary for the affidavit of merit or that other
47 circumstances warrant extension of time.
48 (f) [The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to a
49 plaintiff who is not represented by an attorney.
50 (g) The plaintiff may, in lieu of serving the certificate required by
51 this section, provide the defendant or defendants with the information
52 required by paragraph one of subdivision (d) of section thirty-one
53 hundred one of this chapter within the period of time prescribed by this
54 section] Any complaint alleging medical, dental, or podiatric malprac-
55 tice that is not accompanied by an affidavit of merit as required by
56 this section shall be deemed defective as a matter of law and, upon
S. 1024 4
1 motion by the defendant, be dismissed on the merits by the court. Such
2 dismissal shall be with prejudice.
3 § 4. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of subdivision (a) of section 3101 of the
4 civil practice law and rules, as amended by chapter 98 of the laws of
5 1993, are amended and a new paragraph 5 is added to read as follows:
6 (3) a person about to depart from the state, or without the state, or
7 residing at a greater distance from the place of trial than one hundred
8 miles, or so sick or infirm as to afford reasonable grounds of belief
9 that he or she will not be able to attend the trial, or a person author-
10 ized to practice medicine, dentistry or podiatry who has provided
11 medical, dental or podiatric care or diagnosis to the party demanding
12 disclosure, or who has been retained by such party as an expert witness;
13 [and]
14 (4) any other person, upon notice stating the circumstances or reasons
15 such disclosure is sought or required[.]; and
16 (5) notwithstanding any provision of subparagraph (i) of paragraph one
17 of subdivision (d) of this section to the contrary, in an action for
18 medical, dental or podiatric malpractice, each party shall serve the
19 disclosure described in such subparagraph within sixty days preceding
20 the filing required by rule thirty-four hundred two of this chapter.
21 Further, at any time after joinder of issue, any party may, by written
22 notice made to and served upon all other parties and filed with the
23 court; conduct an examination upon oral deposition of any person who has
24 been disclosed as an expert witness by any other party. Each party shall
25 be required to produce his or her expert witness for examination upon
26 oral deposition upon receipt of a notice to take oral deposition in
27 accordance with rule thirty-one hundred seven of this article and,
28 unless otherwise ordered by the court, all expert witness depositions
29 shall be taken before the filing required by rule thirty-four hundred
30 two of this chapter. If any party, having received such notice, fails to
31 make that party's expert witness available for oral deposition, that
32 party shall be precluded from offering expert testimony at the trial of
33 the action. For purposes of rule thirty-one hundred ten and rule thir-
34 ty-one hundred seventeen of this article, an expert witness, as provided
35 in this section, shall be considered a party. Each party seeking the
36 deposition of an expert witness shall pay the expert a reasonable fee
37 for the time spent at the deposition.
38 § 5. Paragraph 1 of subdivision (d) of section 3101 of the civil prac-
39 tice law and rules, as amended by chapter 184 of the laws of 1988,
40 subparagraph (ii) as amended by chapter 165 of the laws of 1991, is
41 amended to read as follows:
42 1. Experts. (i) Upon request, each party shall identify each person
43 whom the party expects to call as an expert witness at trial and shall
44 disclose in reasonable detail the subject matter on which each expert is
45 expected to testify, the substance of the facts and opinions on which
46 each expert is expected to testify, the qualifications of each expert
47 witness and a summary of the grounds for each expert's opinion. However,
48 where a party for good cause shown retains an expert an insufficient
49 period of time before the commencement of trial to give appropriate
50 notice thereof, the party shall not thereupon be precluded from intro-
51 ducing the expert's testimony at the trial solely on grounds of noncom-
52 pliance with this paragraph. In that instance, upon motion of any party,
53 made before or at trial, or on its own initiative, the court may make
54 whatever order may be just. [In an action for medical, dental or podia-
55 tric malpractice, a party, in responding to a request, may omit the
56 names of medical, dental or podiatric experts but shall be required to
S. 1024 5
1 disclose all other information concerning such experts otherwise
2 required by this paragraph.
3 (ii) In an action for medical, dental or podiatric malpractice, any
4 party may, by written offer made to and served upon all other parties
5 and filed with the court, offer to disclose the name of, and to make
6 available for examination upon oral deposition, any person the party
7 making the offer expects to call as an expert witness at trial. Within
8 twenty days of service of the offer, a party shall accept or reject the
9 offer by serving a written reply upon all parties and filing a copy
10 thereof with the court. Failure to serve a reply within twenty days of
11 service of the offer shall be deemed a rejection of the offer. If all
12 parties accept the offer, each party shall be required to produce his or
13 her expert witness for examination upon oral deposition upon receipt of
14 a notice to take oral deposition in accordance with rule thirty-one
15 hundred seven of this chapter. If any party, having made or accepted the
16 offer, fails to make that party's expert available for oral deposition,
17 that party shall be precluded from offering expert testimony at the
18 trial of the action.
19 (iii)] (ii) Further disclosure concerning the expected testimony of
20 any expert, except as expressly provided in paragraph five of subdivi-
21 sion (a) of this section, may be obtained only by court order upon a
22 showing of special circumstances and subject to restrictions as to scope
23 and provisions concerning fees and expenses as the court may deem appro-
24 priate. However, a party, without court order, may take the testimony of
25 a person authorized to practice medicine, dentistry or podiatry who is
26 the party's treating or retained expert, as described in paragraph three
27 of subdivision (a) of this section, in which event any other party shall
28 be entitled to the full disclosure authorized by this article with
29 respect to that expert without court order.
30 § 6. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new
31 section 4546-a to read as follows:
32 § 4546-a. Damages for health care costs in actions for medical, dental
33 or podiatric malpractice. 1. Definitions. "Health care costs" shall mean
34 the costs for medical care, dental care, custodial care, or rehabili-
35 tation services.
36 2. In any action for medical, dental, or podiatric malpractice, the
37 amount of health care costs shall be calculated: (a) with respect to
38 services provided in private physician practices on the basis of one
39 hundred percent of the usual and customary rates, as defined by the
40 commissioner of health in regulation; or (b) with respect to all other
41 services, on the basis of Medicaid rates of reimbursement or, where no
42 such rates are available, as defined by the commissioner of health in
43 regulation.
44 § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
45 it shall have become a law and shall apply to all actions and
46 proceedings commenced on or after such date; provided, however, that
47 sections four and five of this act shall take effect on the ninetieth
48 day after it shall have become a law.
