Almanzar v. Rye Ridge Realty Co.
Plaintiffs initiated a negligence action in 1982 against Rye Ridge Realty, Veemac Elevator, and Accessories By Pearl after an elevator fall in 1981, leading to multiple injuries. The case was marked off the calendar in 1993 due to a plaintiff's unavailability and subsequently dismissed in 1994 under CPLR 3404 for failure to restore within one year. Plaintiffs' motion to restore the action in 1997, citing excuses like a pending workers' compensation claim and medical treatment, was granted by the motion court. However, the appellate court unanimously reversed this decision, finding that the plaintiffs failed to satisfy the four criteria for restoration: a meritorious cause of action, a reasonable excuse for delay, lack of intent to abandon, and no prejudice to the non-moving party. Consequently, the action was dismissed, and a subsequent appeal for renewal and reargument was dismissed as academic.