[*1]
Frankel v Western Select Ins. Co.
2005 NYSlipOp 50930(U)
Decided on June 20, 2005
Appellate Term, First Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.


Decided on June 20, 2005
APPELLATE TERM OF THE SUPREME COURT, FIRST DEPARTMENT

PRESENT:
HON. LUCINDO SUAREZ, P.J.
HON. WILLIAM J. DAVIS
HON. PHYLLIS GANGEL-JACOB, Justices.


Betty Frankel, 570694/04 Plaintiff-Appellant,

against

Western Select Insurance Company, Defendant-Respondent.


Plaintiff appeals from an order of the Small Claims Part of the Civil Court of the City of New York, New York County, entered September 22, 2004 (Cynthia S. Kern, J.) which granted defendant's motion to dismiss the action.


PER CURIAM:

Order entered September 22, 2004 (Cynthia S. Kern, J.) affirmed, without costs.

This action arising from a slip and fall which occurred in California in 2001 seeks recovery for "medical expenses" from defendant, the insurance carrier of the alleged tortfeasor with whom plaintiff settled her claims in March 2004 and which paid the full amount of the settlement. As Civil Court properly recognized in granting the motion to dismiss, the action is barred by Insurance Law § 3420, which precludes a direct action against a tortfeasor's insurer, where, as here, no judgment has been obtained against the tortfeasor (see Lang v Hanover Insurance Company, 3 NY3d 350 [2004]). Dismissal of the action thus achieved "substantial justice" between the parties according to the rules and principles of substantive law (see CCA 1807) and does not warrant appellate intervention (see Blair v Five Points Shopping Plaza, Inc., 51 AD2d 167 [1976]).

This constitutes the decision and order of the court. [*2]
I concur.


I concur.
I concur.
Decision Date: June 20, 2005