Fogelbach v Public Serv. Mut. Ins. Co.
2011 NY Slip Op 04413 [84 AD3d 1154]
May 24, 2011
Appellate Division, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
As corrected through Wednesday, July 6, 2011


Sonja Fogelbach, Respondent,
v
Public Service Mutual Insurance Company, Appellant.

[*1] Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP, New York, N.Y. (Michael S. Savett of counsel), for appellant.

Stanton & Guzman, LLP, Franklin Square, N.Y. (Stacey Rinaldi Guzman and Jack Stanton of counsel), for respondent.

In an action, inter alia, for a judgment declaring that the defendant is obligated to defend and indemnify the plaintiff in an underlying personal injury action entitled Drexler v Fogelbach, pending in the Supreme Court, Queens County, under index No. 4252/09, the defendant appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Nassau County (Galasso, J.), dated November 30, 2010, which denied its motion for summary judgment declaring that it is not so obligated.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

In opposition to the defendant insurer's prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law based upon the plaintiff's five-month delay in reporting the underlying occurrence to it, the plaintiff raised a triable issue of fact as to whether the delay was reasonable, based upon a good faith belief in her nonliability. Therefore, under these circumstances, the Supreme Court properly denied the defendant's motion for summary judgment (see Bauerschmidt & Sons, Inc. v Nova Cas. Co., 69 AD3d 668, 669 [2010]; R & L Richmond Ave. Corp. v Public Serv. Mut. Ins. Co., 56 AD3d 643 [2008]; St. James Mech., Inc. v Royal & Sunalliance, 44 AD3d 1030, 1031 [2007]; cf. Avery & Avery, P.C. v American Ins. Co., 51 AD3d 695 [2008]).

The defendant's remaining contention is not properly before this Court. Mastro, J.P., Hall, Lott and Cohen, JJ., concur.