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Picciallo v. Norchi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 14, 1989
147 A.D.2d 540 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)

Opinion

February 14, 1989

Appeal from the Supreme Court, Orange County (Green, J.).


Ordered that the judgment is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff Diane Picciallo was allegedly injured when the automobile in which she was riding as a passenger was sideswiped by the defendant's vehicle. Since the defendant conceded liability, a trial was held limited to the issue of damages. After trial, the jury found in favor of the defendant, concluding that Diane Picciallo had failed to establish that she sustained a serious injury as defined by Insurance Law § 5102 (d). On appeal, the plaintiffs claim that the jury verdict should be set aside because the defendant's expert made improper and prejudicial comments during cross-examination which were compounded by defense counsel's suggestion during his summation that the plaintiffs' medical expert was incompetent. The plaintiffs also contend that the jury verdict was against the weight of the credible evidence. We disagree.

Because the plaintiffs failed to object to the allegedly prejudicial comments made by defendant's medical expert, or to move for a mistrial, they cannot claim on appeal that they were denied a fair trial as a matter of law (see, Schein v Chest Serv. Co., 38 A.D.2d 929). "[W]hen a timely objection is not made, the testimony offered is presumed to have been unobjectionable and any alleged error [of law] considered waived" (Horton v Smith, 51 N.Y.2d 798, 799). Nor does defense counsel's comment during summation require the setting aside of the jury verdict (see, Reilly v Billy Blake Discount Dept. Stores, 39 A.D.2d 925) inasmuch as prompt, curative instructions were administered by the court, to which no exception was taken.

We further find that the verdict is supported by the record and based on a fair interpretation of the evidence (see, Nicastro v Park, 113 A.D.2d 129). While there was conflicting medical testimony on certain issues, the jury resolved the disputed issues of fact in favor of the defendant and the record presents no reason to disturb its verdict (see, Boyle v Gretch, 57 A.D.2d 1047). Bracken, J.P., Lawrence, Kunzeman and Kooper, JJ., concur.


Summaries of

Picciallo v. Norchi

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department
Feb 14, 1989
147 A.D.2d 540 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)
Case details for

Picciallo v. Norchi

Case Details

Full title:DIANE PICCIALLO, an Infant, by Her Mother and Natural Guardian, LOUISE…

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Second Department

Date published: Feb 14, 1989

Citations

147 A.D.2d 540 (N.Y. App. Div. 1989)
537 N.Y.S.2d 837

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