Ligotti v. Provident Life & Casualty Insurance

857 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2011 WL 6304078, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145469
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. New York
DecidedDecember 16, 2011
DocketNo. 10-CV-0564A
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 857 F. Supp. 2d 307 (Ligotti v. Provident Life & Casualty Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ligotti v. Provident Life & Casualty Insurance, 857 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2011 WL 6304078, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145469 (W.D.N.Y. 2011).

Opinion

ORDER

RICHARD J. ARCARA, District Judge.

The above-referenced case was referred to Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B). On December 1, 2011, Magistrate Judge Foschio filed a Report and Recommendation, recommending that (1) defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings be converted to a motion for partial summary judgment and then granted, with the complaint dismissed as against Unum; (2) plaintiffs motion for leave to amend be denied; and [310]*310(3) defendants’ motion to compel plaintiff to submit to a physical examination be granted, with defendants to provide plaintiff with a copy of their expert opinion report within 30 days of the completion of Dr. Twist’s examination.

The Court has carefully reviewed the Report and Recommendation, the record in this case, and the pleadings and materials submitted by the parties, and no objections having been timely filed, it is hereby

ORDERED, that pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1), and for the reasons set forth in Magistrate Judge Foschio’s Report and Recommendation, (1) defendants’ motion for judgment on the pleadings is converted to a motion for partial summary judgment and is granted, with the complaint dismissed as against Unum; (2) plaintiffs motion for leave to amend is denied; and (3) defendants’ motion to compel plaintiff to submit to a physical examination is granted, with defendants to provide plaintiff with a copy of their expert opinion report within 30 days of the completion of Dr. Twist’s examination.

The case is referred back to Magistrate Judge Foschio for further proceedings.

SO ORDERED.

REPORT and RECOMMENDATION

DECISION and ORDER

LESLIE G. FOSCHIO, United States Magistrate Judge.

JURISDICTION

This case was referred to the undersigned by Honorable Richard J. Arcara on July 29, 2010, for all pretrial matters. The action is presently before the court on Defendants’ motions for partial judgment on the pleadings (Doc. No. 16), filed March 14, 2011, and to compel Plaintiff to undergo a physical examination (Doc. No. 44), filed August 29, 2011, and on Plaintiffs motion for leave to file an amended complaint (Doc. No. 43), filed August 1, 2011.

BACKGROUND and FACTS1

Since January 1985, Plaintiff Rosemary A. Ligotti (“Plaintiff’ or “Ligotti”), has maintained a disability income insurance policy (“the insurance policy”) issued by Defendant Provident Life and Casualty Insurance Company (“Provident”), a whollyowned subsidiary of The Unum Group (“Unum”) (together, “Defendants”). As relevant to this action, the insurance policy provides for payment of benefits to Plaintiff upon suffering an injury rendering Plaintiff totally disabled, a determination requiring Plaintiff be “unable to perform the substantial and material duties of [her] occupation,” and “under the care and attendance of a Physician.” (Doc. No. 1-2 at 15). Furthermore, “presumptive total disability” will be considered if Plaintiff suffers “the entire and irrevocable loss of sight of both eyes.....” Id.

On July 26, 2007, Plaintiff, who has long suffered from a chronic dry eye syndrome, was injured when some debris entered her eyes, exacerbating her dry eye condition, and causing marked swelling, redness, pain and blurriness, for which Plaintiff sought medical treatment, including, inter alia, undergoing two surgical procedures, over the course of almost two years. On June 3, 2009, however, Plaintiff was advised by her attending physicians, that the trauma to her eyes was permanent and could be neither alleviated nor lessened by further treatment. Plaintiff was also advised to avoid using her eyes for more than 20 minutes at a time, and to rest her eyes for two hours between use, rendering it impracticable that Plaintiff would be able to continue to perform the necessary [311]*311functions of her profession as a financial consultant.

On August 20, 2009, Plaintiff submitted a claim seeking to receive disability benefits pursuant to the insurance policy issued by Provident. The claim was initially denied on January 11, 2010 on the basis that Plaintiffs eye impairment did not restrict or limit Plaintiff so as to prevent Plaintiff from performing the duties of her occupation. Plaintiff appealed the claim denial and, on May 26, 2010, the denial was upheld by Defendant.

On June 18, 2010, Plaintiff commenced this action in New York Supreme Court, Erie County, alleging Defendants have wrongly denied Plaintiffs claim for payment of disability benefits in accordance with the insurance policy. Plaintiff asserts four grounds for relief on which she seeks to recover against both Defendants including claims for (1) declaratory relief (“First Claim”); (2) breach of contract (“Second Claim”); (3) bad faith and attorney’s fees (“Third Claim”); and (4) attorney’s fees on the breach of contract claim (“Fourth Claim”). On July 7, 2010, Defendants removed the action asserting diversity of citizenship as the basis for jurisdiction in this court. Defendants filed an answer on July 27, 2010 (Doc. No. 6).

On March 14, 2011, Defendants filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings (Doc. No. 16) (“Motion for Judgment”), the Memorandum in Support of Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Doc. No. 17) (“Defendants’ Memorandum-Judgment”). On May 17, 2011, Plaintiff filed Plaintiffs Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Doc. No. 27) (“Plaintiffs Response-Judgment”), with attached exhibits A through F (“Plaintiffs First Exh(s). _”). On June 3, 2011, Defendants’ filed the Reply Memorandum in Further Support of Defendants’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings (Doc. No. 31) (“Defendants’ Reply-Judgment”).

On August 1, 2011, Plaintiff filed a motion seeking leave to amend the Complaint (Doc. No. 43) (“Plaintiffs Motion”), supported by the attached Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Her Complaint (Doc. No. 43-1) (“Plaintiffs Memorandum”).

On August 29, 2011, Defendants filed a motion to compel Plaintiff to submit to a physical examination (Doc. No. 44) (“Motion to Compel”), the Declaration of Paul K. Stecker, Esq. (Doc. No. 45) (“Stecker Declaration”), with attached exhibits A through I (“Defendants’ Exh(s). _”), and the Memorandum of Law in Support of Defendants’ Motion for an Order Directing Plaintiff to Submit to a Physical Examination and Extending Defendants’ Time to Provide the Report of Expert Witness James F. Twist, M.D. (Doc. No. 46) (“Defendants’ Memorandum — Compel”).

On September 6, 2011, Defendants filed the Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Complaint to Add Claims Under Massachusetts Unfair Practices Statutes (Doc. No. 48) (“Defendants’ Response”). On September 20, 2011, Plaintiff filed the Supplemental Affidavit of Gregory Stamm, Esq., Regarding Plaintiffs Motion to Amend Complaint (Doc. No. 53) (“Stamm Affidavit”), with attached Exhibit A (Doc. No. 53-1) (“Stamm Exh.”).2

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857 F. Supp. 2d 307, 2011 WL 6304078, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145469, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ligotti-v-provident-life-casualty-insurance-nywd-2011.