December 19, 2017

Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. v 21st Century Ins. Co. (2017 NY Slip Op 51820(U))

Headnote

The main issue in this case was whether Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. could recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits from 21st Century Insurance Company. Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. appealed from an order of the Civil Court that denied their motion for summary judgment. The court found that Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. failed to establish its entitlement to summary judgment, as the proof it submitted did not establish that the claims at issue had not been timely denied. The court also found that defendant had issued timely denial of claim forms that were not conclusory, vague, or without merit as a matter of law. The holding of the case was that the order denying Island Life Chiropractic, P.C.'s motion for summary judgment was affirmed.

Reported in New York Official Reports at Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. v 21st Century Ins. Co. (2017 NY Slip Op 51820(U))

Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. v 21st Century Ins. Co. (2017 NY Slip Op 51820(U)) [*1]
Island Life Chiropractic, P.C. v 21st Century Ins. Co.
2017 NY Slip Op 51820(U) [58 Misc 3d 136(A)]
Decided on December 19, 2017
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This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.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 December 19, 2017
SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE TERM, SECOND DEPARTMENT, 2d, 11th and 13th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
PRESENT: : MICHAEL L. PESCE, P.J., THOMAS P. ALIOTTA, MARTIN M. SOLOMON, JJ
2015-1087 K C

Island Life Chiropractic, P.C., as Assignee of Belfort, Markens, Appellant,

against

21st Century Insurance Company, Respondent.

The Rybak Firm, PLLC (Damin J. Toell, Esq.), for appellant. Law Offices of Buratti, Rothenberg & Burns (Maryana Feigen, Esq.), for respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Reginald A. Boddie, J.), entered December 29, 2014. The order, insofar as appealed from, denied plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment.

ORDERED that the order, insofar as appealed from, is affirmed, with $25 costs.

In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, plaintiff appeals from so much of an order of the Civil Court as denied plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment.

Contrary to plaintiff’s argument on appeal, plaintiff failed to establish its prima facie entitlement to summary judgment, since the proof it submitted failed to establish that the claims at issue had not been timely denied (see Viviane Etienne Med. Care, P.C. v Country-Wide Ins. Co., 25 NY3d 498 [2015]), or that defendant had issued timely denial of claim forms that were conclusory, vague or without merit as a matter of law (see Westchester Med. Ctr. v Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 78 AD3d 1168 [2010]; Ave T MPC Corp. v Auto One Ins. Co., 32 Misc 3d 128[A], 2011 NY Slip Op 51292[U] [App Term, 2d Dept, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2011]).

Accordingly, the order, insofar as appealed from, is affirmed.

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


ENTER:
Paul Kenny
Chief Clerk
Decision Date: December 19, 2017