October 24, 2005

Ontaneda v Country-Wide Ins. Co. (2005 NY Slip Op 07938)

Headnote

The court considered that the plaintiff had sustained personal injuries in an automobile accident and pursued multiple actions and arbitration to recover benefits from her insurance company. The main issue decided was whether the general release the plaintiff signed in connection with the settlement of her second action barred her from bringing the instant action seeking damages for breach of contract. The holding of the court was that the general release signed by the plaintiff barred the instant action. The court affirmed the order granting the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint, stating that the general release signed by the plaintiff barred her from seeking damages for breach of contract based on the delay in processing her insurance claims.

Reported in New York Official Reports at Ontaneda v Country-Wide Ins. Co. (2005 NY Slip Op 07938)

Ontaneda v Country-Wide Ins. Co. (2005 NY Slip Op 07938)
Ontaneda v Country-Wide Ins. Co.
2005 NY Slip Op 07938 [22 AD3d 730]
October 24, 2005
Appellate Division, Second Department
Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.
Marina Ontaneda, Appellant,
v
Country-Wide Insurance Company, Respondent.

[*1]

In an action, inter alia, to recover damages for breach of contract, the plaintiff appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Queens County (Satterfield, J.), dated February 24, 2004, which granted the defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Ordered that the order is affirmed, with costs.

The plaintiff sustained personal injuries in an automobile accident on August 22, 1994. Since that time, she has pursued two prior actions and an arbitration against her insurer, the defendant Country-Wide Insurance Company, to recover, inter alia, both uninsured and no-fault benefits under her policy. As a result thereof, the plaintiff recovered the full amounts of her policy limits, as well as statutory penalties for the defendant’s delay in paying her claims. As relevant to the instant appeal, in connection with the settlement of the plaintiff’s second action, which was commenced on or about January 24, 2000, the plaintiff executed, inter alia, a general release, dated January 25, 2002. In the instant action, the plaintiff seeks, inter alia, damages for breach of contract based on the defendant’s alleged bad faith in delaying the processing of her insurance claims.

The general release, dated January 25, 2002, which the plaintiff signed, bars the instant action (see Falconieri v A & A Discount Auto Rental, 262 AD2d 446, 447 [1999]; DeQuatro v Zhen Yu Li, 211 AD2d 609, 609-610 [1995]). [*2]

The plaintiff’s remaining contentions are either unpreserved for appellate review or without merit. H. Miller, J.P., Adams, Spolzino and Fisher, JJ., concur.