West Tremont Med. Diagnostics P.C. v Utica Mut. Ins. Co.

[*1] West Tremont Med. Diagnostics P.C. v Utica Mut. Ins. Co. 2009 NY Slip Op 51325(U) [24 Misc 3d 129(A)] Decided on June 30, 2009 Appellate Term, First 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 This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.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 June 30, 2009
APPELLATE TERM OF THE SUPREME COURT, FIRST DEPARTMENT
PRESENT: McKeon, P.J., Heitler, Shulman, JJ
570034/09.,

West Tremont Medical Diagnostics P.C. a/a/o Jesus Rodriguez, Plaintiff-Respondent,

against

Utica Mutual Insurance Company, Defendant-Appellant.

Defendant appeals from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County (Mitchell J. Danziger, J.), entered February 9, 2007, which granted plaintiff's motion for summary judgment.

Per Curiam.

Order (Mitchell J. Danziger, J.), entered February 9, 2007, affirmed, without costs.

In this action to recover first party no-fault benefits, defendant's submission in support of its staged accident defense was insufficient to establish a "founded belief that the alleged injury [did] not arise out of an insured incident" (Central Gen. Hosp. v Chubb Group of Ins. Cos., 90 NY2d 195, 199 [1997]; see Vista Surgical Supplies, Inc. v Utica Mut. Ins. Co., 2009 NY Slip Op 50493[U] [2009]). To the extent that defendant purports to rely upon a policy exclusion, any such defense is precluded in view of defendant's failure to timely deny the claims (see Central Gen. Hosp. v Chubb Group of Ins. Cos., 90 NY2d at 199).

THIS CONSTITUTES THE DECISION AND ORDER OF THE COURT.
Decision Date: June 30, 2009