Zen Acupuncture, P.C. v. Allstate Ins. Co.

• Court: Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York
• Decided: May 3, 2019
• Docket: 2019 NYSlipOp 50699(U)
• Status: Published

Opinion

Zen Acupuncture, P.C., as Assignee of Madera Michelle, Appellant,

against

Allstate Insurance Company, Respondent.

Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt, P.C. (Melissa Betancourt of counsel), for appellant. Bruno, Gerbino & Soriano, LLP (Nathan Shapiro of counsel), for respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Richard J. Montelione, J.), entered March 27, 2017. The order, insofar as appealed from, denied plaintiff's cross 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 cross motion for summary judgment.

Plaintiff's cross motion for summary judgment should have been denied as the proof submitted by plaintiff failed to establish that the claim 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 a timely denial of claim form that was 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 ELLIOT, JJ., concur.

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