May 3, 2019

BCc Chiropractic, P.C. v Farmers New Century Ins. Co. (2019 NY Slip Op 50680(U))

Headnote

The court considered the fact that the defendant had scheduled examinations under oath (EUOs) for the plaintiff's assignor, but the assignor failed to appear for these scheduled EUOs. The main issue decided was whether the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint should be granted on the grounds that the plaintiff's assignor had failed to appear for the scheduled EUOs. The holding of the case was that the defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint was granted, as the plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact in opposition to the defendant's motion. Therefore, the court reversed the order of the Civil Court and granted the defendant's motion for summary judgment.

Reported in New York Official Reports at BCc Chiropractic, P.C. v Farmers New Century Ins. Co. (2019 NY Slip Op 50680(U))

BCc Chiropractic, P.C. v Farmers New Century Ins. Co. (2019 NY Slip Op 50680(U)) [*1]

BC Chiropractic, P.C. v Farmers New Century Ins. Co.

2019 NY Slip Op 50680(U) [63 Misc 3d 146(A)]

Decided on May 3, 2019

Appellate Term, Second Department

Published by New York State Law Reporting Bureau pursuant to Judiciary Law § 431.

This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.

Decided on May 3, 2019

SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE TERM, SECOND DEPARTMENT, 2d, 11th and 13th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

PRESENT: : MICHAEL L. PESCE, P.J., THOMAS P. ALIOTTA, DAVID ELLIOT, JJ
2016-2912 K C

BC Chiropractic, P.C., as Assignee of Lea Lagredelle, Respondent,
against
Farmers New Century Insurance Co., Appellant.

Law Offices of Buratti, Rothenberg & Burns (Konstantinos Tsirkas of counsel), for appellant. Petre and Zabokritsky, P.C., for respondent (no brief filed).

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Richard J. Montelione, J.), entered September 12, 2016. The order denied defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is reversed, with $30 costs, and defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint is granted.

In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, defendant appeals from an order of the Civil Court which denied defendant’s motion, which had sought summary judgment dismissing the complaint on the ground that plaintiff’s assignor had failed to appear for duly scheduled examinations under oath (EUOs).

While the Civil Court correctly noted that defendant’s January 13, 2012 letter was a delay letter, which did not toll defendant’s time to pay or deny the claim, defendant established that initial and follow-up letters scheduling an EUO had been timely mailed (see St. Vincent’s Hosp. of Richmond v Government Empls. Ins. Co., 50 AD3d 1123 [2008]); that plaintiff’s assignor had failed to appear on either date (see Stephen Fogel Psychological, P.C. v Progressive Cas. Ins. [*2]Co., 35 AD3d 720 [2006]); and that the claim had been timely denied on that ground (see St. Vincent’s Hosp. of Richmond, 50 AD3d 1123). As plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact in opposition to defendant’s motion, defendant is entitled to summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Accordingly, the order is reversed and defendant’s motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint is granted.

PESCE, P.J., ALIOTTA and ELLIOT, JJ., concur.

ENTER:
Paul Kenny
Chief Clerk
Decision Date: May 03, 2019