How Breach of a Non-Compete Can Sustain Both Fraud & Breach of Contract Claims in NY

In GoSmile, Inc. v. Levine, a decision that was handed down on December 21, New York’s Appellate Division, First Department (which covers New York and Bronx Counties) was confronted with the following question:  “whether a plaintiff is permitted to assert claims for both fraud and breach of contract, where the fraud claim is based upon [...]

Why Officer Liability for Breach of Contract & Fraud Is So Rare In New York

As a corollary to our blog article “When You Can Incur Personal Liability for a Debt in New York,” the question arises as to what New York’s courts will do when a claimant tries to hold a corporate officer personally liable in either breach of contract or fraud. To that end, in a November 18 [...]

Finding Insured Lied in His Insurance Application, Brooklyn Court Dismisses Stolen Vehicle Claim

Although I’m certainly no fan of the insurance industry, I can’t blame them for fighting this claim. And I don’t blame the Court for siding with them either. Recently, in Rampersant v. Nationwide Mutual Fire Ins. Co., a Brooklyn  judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by a Kings County man against his auto insurer, which sought [...]

How to Prove a Negligent Misrepresentation Claim Under New York Law

Before addressing how you prove a negligent misrepresentation claim, we first have to define what it is – and what it isn’t. Unlike its cousin, the fraud claim, negligent misrepresentation does not require a showing of malicious intent or recklessness by the defendant; rather, it requires that the plaintiff prove the following by a preponderance [...]