American Tr. Ins. Co. v. Emuna Inc

2026 NY Slip Op 30745(U)
CourtNew York Supreme Court, New York County
DecidedFebruary 26, 2026
DocketIndex No. 650780/2025
StatusUnpublished
AuthorEmily Morales-Minerva

This text of 2026 NY Slip Op 30745(U) (American Tr. Ins. Co. v. Emuna Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court, New York County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American Tr. Ins. Co. v. Emuna Inc, 2026 NY Slip Op 30745(U) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2026).

Opinion

American Tr. Ins. Co. v Emuna Inc 2026 NY Slip Op 30745(U) February 26, 2026 Supreme Court, New York County Docket Number: Index No. 650780/2025 Judge: Emily Morales-Minerva Cases posted with a "30000" identifier, i.e., 2013 NY Slip Op 30001(U), are republished from various New York State and local government sources, including the New York State Unified Court System's eCourts Service. This opinion is uncorrected and not selected for official publication.

file:///LRB-ALB-FS1/Vol1/ecourts/Process/covers/NYSUP.6507802025.NEW_YORK.001.LBLX049_TO.html[03/11/2026 3:45:53 PM] FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2026 10:26 AM INDEX NO. 650780/2025 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 17 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/26/2026

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK: PART 42M ---------------------X AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, INDEX NO. 650780/2025

Petitioner, MOTION DATE 04/01/2025 - V - MOTION SEQ. NO. 001 EMUNA INC DBA VAVAR PHARMACY,

Respondent. DECISION+ ORDER ON MOTION ---------------------X

The following e-filed documents, listed by NYSCEF document number (Motion 001) 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 were read on this motion to/for VACATE - DECISION/ORDER/JUDGMENT/AWARD

APPEARANCES:

Larkin Farrell LLC, New York, New York (William Robert Larkin, Esq., of counsel), for petitioner.

Gary Tsirelman, P. C. , Brooklyn, New York (Gary Tsirelman, Esq., of counsel), for respondent.

EMILY MORALES-MINERVA, J.S.C.

In this special proceeding, petitioner AMERICAN TRANSIT

INSURANCE COMPANY moves, by notice of petition (motion sequence

number 01), pursuant to CPLR § 7511, to vacate the arbitration

award issued by Arbitrator Marianne C. Zack, Esq., and

subsequently confirmed by Master Arbitrator Robyn D. Weisman,

Esq., in favor of respondent EMUNA INC D/B/A VAVAR PHARMACY.

Respondent opposes and cross-petitions for confirmation of the

arbitration award, reasonable attorneys' fees, and costs.

650780/2025 AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, vs. EMUNA INC DBA VAVAR Page 1 of 10 PHARMACY, Motion No. 001

[* 1] 1 of 10 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2026 10:26 AM INDEX NO. 650780/2025 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 17 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/26/2026

For the reasons explained below, petitioner's petition

(mot. seq. no. 01) is denied, and respondent's cross-petition is

granted, in part.

BACKGROUND

On October 25, 2022, non-party Nani Boichenko was injured

in a motor vehicle accident (see New York State Court Electronic

Filing System [NYSCEF] Doc. No. 01, petition). As a result of

the accident, Ms. Boichenko received medical treatment,

including prescribed medications from respondent EMUNA INC D/B/A

VAVAR PHARMACY during the period of March 17, 2023, through

April 15, 2023 (see id.; see also NYSCEF Doc. No. 03, lower

arbitration award, dated October 03, 2024).

Thereafter, respondent submitted no-fault benefit claims to

petitioner seeking reimbursement of the medical treatment

provided to Ms. Boichenko, but Petitioner denied reimbursement

of said claims based on lack of medical necessity (see NYSCEF

Doc. No. 01, complaint). Specifically, petitioner "rel[ied] on

the peer review report of Dr. Edward W. Weiland dated 6/23/2023

and the independent medical examination (IME) of Dr. Douglas

Unis dated 2/10/23" to support its denial (NYSCEF Doc. No. 03,

arbitration award, dated October 03, 2024, p 2). As a result of

the denial, respondent initiated arbitration with petitioner 650780/2025 AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, vs. EMUNA INC DBA VAVAR Page 2 of 10 PHARMACY, Motion No. 001

[* 2] 2 of 10 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2026 10:26 AM INDEX NO. 650780/2025 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 17 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/26/2026

(see NYSCEF Doc. No. 05, motor vehicle no-fault insurance law

arbitration request form, dated June 19, 2023).

The American Arbitration Association (AAA) assigned the

action to Arbitrator Marianne C. Zack (Arbitrator Zack) pursuant

to AAA Case No. 17-23-1304-3361, and on September 09, 2024,

Arbitrator Zack conducted a hearing (see NYSCEF Doc. No. 03,

lower arbitration award). Arbitrator Zack reviewed two disputed

claims, one for $2,624.16 and the other for $1,877.04 (see id.) . 1

To support its denial of the claims, petitioner submitted the

peer review report of Dr. Edward W. Weiland, who concluded that

the medications were not medically necessary, as well as the IME

report of Dr. Douglas Unis (see id.). In rebuttal, respondent

submitted the report of Dr. Pervaiz Qureshi (see id.).

Upon conclusion of the hearing and in consideration of the

evidence and testimony submitted, Arbitrator Zack determined

that the peer review report submitted by petitioner established

that the prescribed medications were not medically necessary,

shifting the burden to respondent (see id., p 3). However, upon

consideration of respondent's "very comprehensive rebuttal" of

Dr. Pervaiz Qureshi, Arbitrator Zack found that respondent had

satisfied its "shifted burden", sufficiently proving that the

prescribed medications were medically necessary (see id.).

1 The third claim, for $4,501.20, was withdrawn without prejudice by respondent (see NYSCEF Doc. No. 03, arbitration award). 650780/2025 AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, vs. EMUNA INC DBA VAVAR Page 3 of 10 PHARMACY, Motion No. 001

[* 3] 3 of 10 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2026 10:26 AM INDEX NO. 650780/2025 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 17 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/26/2026

Accordingly, Arbitrator Zack awarded respondent $4,501.20, plus

statutory interest, attorneys' fees, and filing fees (see id.).

Petitioner appealed, and the matter was assigned to Master

Arbitrator Robyn Weisman (master arbitrator) pursuant to AAA.

Case No. 99-23-1304-3361 (see NYSCEF Doc. No. 04, master

arbitration award, dated December 04, 2024). The master

arbitrator affirmed Arbitrator Zack's decision, holding:

"The issue of medical necessity is a factual issue. The arbitrator found sufficient evidence to prove medical necessity. The arbitrator awarded the amount after a finding of medical necessity and discussed the fact that she reviewed the evidence and took into consideration the record and oral arguments. The arbitrator held after weighing the evidence submitted, the [respondent's] evidence was more persuasive and awarded accordingly. With respect to the differing medical opinions, I must defer to the Arbitrator as the arbitrator was within her purview to weigh such evidence as she deemed appropriate" (id.) .

Further, the master arbitrator noted that master

arbitrators are not permitted to re-weigh evidence and may only

disturb a decision that is arbitrary, capricious, unsupported by

the record, or incorrect as a matter of law, none of which were

applicable here (see id.).

Despite the two-tier arbitration process, petitioner

commenced the instant Article 75 proceeding, seeking vacatur of

650780/2025 AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, vs. EMUNA INC DBAVAVAR Page4of10 PHARMACY, Motion No. 001

[* 4] 4 of 10 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 02/27/2026 10:26 AM INDEX NO. 650780/2025 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 17 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 02/26/2026

the $4,501.20 award pursuant to CPLR § 7511 (b) (1) (iii) 2 (see

NYSCEF Doc. No. 01, petitioner). Petitioner contends that the

"arbitrator's decision was arbitrary and capricious, without

rational basis and incorrect as a matter of law because the

arbitrator ignored petitioner's evidence" (id., p 13).

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Bluebook (online)
2026 NY Slip Op 30745(U), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-tr-ins-co-v-emuna-inc-nysupctnewyork-2026.