• https://americafirstreport.com/danish-navy-hunts-down-chinese-ship-suspected-of-sabotaging-baltic-sea-cables/
    https://americafirstreport.com/danish-navy-hunts-down-chinese-ship-suspected-of-sabotaging-baltic-sea-cables/
    AMERICAFIRSTREPORT.COM
    Danish Navy Hunts Down Chinese Ship Suspected Of ‘Sabotaging’ Baltic Sea Cables
    Update (0729ET) On Monday, the Yi Peng 3, a Chinese-registered bulk carrier, was suspected of damaging two fiber-optic data cables
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  • Premier space agency, keeps the Earth connected to the stars. Recognizing the 50 top tech leaders transforming their companies for a new era of AI. Forbes to discuss some of the challenges of managing IT for the space agency, designed 30 years ago never could anticipate the environment that we're in today.
    Premier space agency, keeps the Earth connected to the stars. Recognizing the 50 top tech leaders transforming their companies for a new era of AI. Forbes to discuss some of the challenges of managing IT for the space agency, designed 30 years ago never could anticipate the environment that we're in today.
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  • Occam’s Razor

    Exclusion for Work Performed by Insured Defeats Claim for Construction Defects
    Post 4935

    Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gT_NsMHv, see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gqkPHYbp and at https://lnkd.in/gEEXkUe3, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4900 posts.

    The question presented to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals was whether a contractor’s CGL insurance policy covers general damage to a non-defective part of the contractor’s project resulting from a subcontractor’s defective work on a different part of that project.

    APPLICATION OF OCCAM’S RAZOR

    The analysis technique that proposes that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex.

    FACTUAL BACKGROUND

    Applying Massachusetts law, the district court concluded that Admiral had no duty to defend Tocci in Admiral Insurance Company, Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, Great American Assurance Company v. Tocci Building Corporation, Tocci Residential LLC, John L. Tocci, Sr., No. 22-1462, United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit (November 8, 2024) and Tocci appealed.

    From 2013 to 2016, Tocci was the construction manager for an apartment project owned by Toll JM EB Residential Urban Renewal LLC (“Toll”). There were several work quality issues and delays on the project, and Toll eventually terminated Tocci in March 2016 for alleged mismanagement of the project.

    Toll sued with allegations regarding instances of defective work leading to property damage. The allegations included defective work by Tocci’s subcontractors resulting in various instances of property damage to non-defective work on the project, including (1) damage to sheetrock resulting from faulty roof work; (2) mold formation resulting from inadequate sheathing and water getting into the building; and (3) damage to a concrete slab, wood framing, and underground pipes resulting from soil settlement due to improper backfill and soil compaction.

    DUTY TO DEFEND

    Tocci sought defense and indemnity coverage under the Admiral insurance policies. Admiral denied coverage.

    The district court granted Admiral’s motion on duty to defend because the damage alleged in Toll’s complaint did not qualify as “property damage” as defined in the policy because the allegations consisted entirely of damage at Tocci’s own project.

    ANALYSIS

    The First Circuit considered three steps to the coverage analysis: (1) Do the damages alleged in the action fall within the scope of coverage?; (2) if so, do the exclusions to coverage apply?; and (3) if so, do any exceptions to the exclusions apply?

    The First Circuit noted that there is a sharp split of authority on whether damage to non-defective work resulting from a subcontractor’s defective work constitutes “property damage” or is caused by an “occurrence.” The First Circuit decided to avoid the issues of what constitutes “property damage” by focusing on the exclusions which were sufficient to resolve the complete dispute.

    THE HOLDING

    There are two “Damage to Property” exclusions that provide that there is no coverage for “property damage” to: that particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the ‘property damage’ arises out of those operations; or that particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because “your work” was incorrectly performed on it.

    The First Circuit, applying Occam’s Razor, focused its analysis on the exclusion it concluded covers the allegations in the Toll complaint. Since the complaint alleges damage resulting from Tocci’s “incorrectly performed” work on the entire project “[t]hat particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because ‘[Tocci’s] work’ was incorrectly performed on it” refers to the entirety of the project where Tocci was the general contractor charged with supervising and managing the project as a whole.

    Therefore, the First Circuit concluded that Admiral met its burden of establishing that the Toll action only alleges damage falling within the exclusion and that there was no exception to that exclusion that applied.

    ZALMA OPINION

    This is a case of a court applying Occam’s Razor, by picking an easy and obvious solution – the application of an exclusion – and avoiding the problem of different court rulings on coverage about “property damage” and “occurence.” Since the exclusion clearly applied there was no duty to defend.

    (c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

    Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.

    Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe

    Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg

    Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk

    Subscribe to my substack at https://lnkd.in/gmmzUVBy
    Occam’s Razor Exclusion for Work Performed by Insured Defeats Claim for Construction Defects Post 4935 Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gT_NsMHv, see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gqkPHYbp and at https://lnkd.in/gEEXkUe3, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4900 posts. The question presented to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals was whether a contractor’s CGL insurance policy covers general damage to a non-defective part of the contractor’s project resulting from a subcontractor’s defective work on a different part of that project. APPLICATION OF OCCAM’S RAZOR The analysis technique that proposes that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex. FACTUAL BACKGROUND Applying Massachusetts law, the district court concluded that Admiral had no duty to defend Tocci in Admiral Insurance Company, Starr Indemnity & Liability Company, Great American Assurance Company v. Tocci Building Corporation, Tocci Residential LLC, John L. Tocci, Sr., No. 22-1462, United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit (November 8, 2024) and Tocci appealed. From 2013 to 2016, Tocci was the construction manager for an apartment project owned by Toll JM EB Residential Urban Renewal LLC (“Toll”). There were several work quality issues and delays on the project, and Toll eventually terminated Tocci in March 2016 for alleged mismanagement of the project. Toll sued with allegations regarding instances of defective work leading to property damage. The allegations included defective work by Tocci’s subcontractors resulting in various instances of property damage to non-defective work on the project, including (1) damage to sheetrock resulting from faulty roof work; (2) mold formation resulting from inadequate sheathing and water getting into the building; and (3) damage to a concrete slab, wood framing, and underground pipes resulting from soil settlement due to improper backfill and soil compaction. DUTY TO DEFEND Tocci sought defense and indemnity coverage under the Admiral insurance policies. Admiral denied coverage. The district court granted Admiral’s motion on duty to defend because the damage alleged in Toll’s complaint did not qualify as “property damage” as defined in the policy because the allegations consisted entirely of damage at Tocci’s own project. ANALYSIS The First Circuit considered three steps to the coverage analysis: (1) Do the damages alleged in the action fall within the scope of coverage?; (2) if so, do the exclusions to coverage apply?; and (3) if so, do any exceptions to the exclusions apply? The First Circuit noted that there is a sharp split of authority on whether damage to non-defective work resulting from a subcontractor’s defective work constitutes “property damage” or is caused by an “occurrence.” The First Circuit decided to avoid the issues of what constitutes “property damage” by focusing on the exclusions which were sufficient to resolve the complete dispute. THE HOLDING There are two “Damage to Property” exclusions that provide that there is no coverage for “property damage” to: that particular part of real property on which you or any contractors or subcontractors working directly or indirectly on your behalf are performing operations, if the ‘property damage’ arises out of those operations; or that particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because “your work” was incorrectly performed on it. The First Circuit, applying Occam’s Razor, focused its analysis on the exclusion it concluded covers the allegations in the Toll complaint. Since the complaint alleges damage resulting from Tocci’s “incorrectly performed” work on the entire project “[t]hat particular part of any property that must be restored, repaired or replaced because ‘[Tocci’s] work’ was incorrectly performed on it” refers to the entirety of the project where Tocci was the general contractor charged with supervising and managing the project as a whole. Therefore, the First Circuit concluded that Admiral met its burden of establishing that the Toll action only alleges damage falling within the exclusion and that there was no exception to that exclusion that applied. ZALMA OPINION This is a case of a court applying Occam’s Razor, by picking an easy and obvious solution – the application of an exclusion – and avoiding the problem of different court rulings on coverage about “property damage” and “occurence.” Since the exclusion clearly applied there was no duty to defend. (c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos. Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk Subscribe to my substack at https://lnkd.in/gmmzUVBy
    LNKD.IN
    Occam’s Razor
    Exclusion for Work Performed by Insured Defeats Claim for Construction Defects Post 4935 Posted on November 18, 2024 by Barry Zalma See the full video at https://rumble.com/v5po3z8-occams-razor.
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  • If You Eat an Avocado a Day For a Month, Here's What Will Happen to You
    What Will Happen to Your Body If You Eat Avocado Every Day. The avocado is a unique fruit with multiple nutritional and health benefits. How would your body respond if you ate just one avocado a day? In fact, it would transform your life as you’d get amazing results: your breath will be fresh at all times, your kidneys and liver will work more efficiently, your blood pressure will become lower, just to name a few.

    There's a miraculous mineral to be found in avocados: potassium. It helps your system keep a healthy fluid balance through chemical channels for cells and organs. Avocados are also a great source of vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is known for its involvement in the creation of collagen and elastin, which help to maintain the skin's elasticity and firmness. Vitamin E takes it to a whole new level, reducing the damage of excessive sun exposure and counteracting aging.

    If You Eat an Avocado a Day For a Month, Here's What Will Happen to You What Will Happen to Your Body If You Eat Avocado Every Day. The avocado is a unique fruit with multiple nutritional and health benefits. How would your body respond if you ate just one avocado a day? In fact, it would transform your life as you’d get amazing results: your breath will be fresh at all times, your kidneys and liver will work more efficiently, your blood pressure will become lower, just to name a few. There's a miraculous mineral to be found in avocados: potassium. It helps your system keep a healthy fluid balance through chemical channels for cells and organs. Avocados are also a great source of vitamins C and E. Vitamin C is known for its involvement in the creation of collagen and elastin, which help to maintain the skin's elasticity and firmness. Vitamin E takes it to a whole new level, reducing the damage of excessive sun exposure and counteracting aging.
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  • RICK MIRACLE VIDEO LIBRARY #1086, WHY IS FEMA STAGING 350 SEMI TRAILERS W EQUIPMENT AT AN OLD AFB

    You can bank on one thing!
    Whatever it is, IT'S UNLAWFUL AND #Evil

    #FEMA is a covert anti-American ARMY on US Soil...
    Kinda like the #Police

    https://old.bitchute.com/video/PAgD6wEryYjN/
    RICK MIRACLE VIDEO LIBRARY #1086, WHY IS FEMA STAGING 350 SEMI TRAILERS W EQUIPMENT AT AN OLD AFB You can bank on one thing! Whatever it is, IT'S UNLAWFUL AND #Evil #FEMA is a covert anti-American ARMY on US Soil... Kinda like the #Police https://old.bitchute.com/video/PAgD6wEryYjN/
    OLD.BITCHUTE.COM
    RICK MIRACLE VIDEO LIBRARY #1086, Why is FEMA Staging 350 Semi Trailers w Equipment at an Old AFB
    video found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l89iZKotC-8 Nothing, nothing would surprise me anymore! How about YOU? Apparently, the attack on humanity continues. https://gogetfunding.com/2024-fund-to-manufacture-books/ https://www.fac…
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  • Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter September 15, 2024

    Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter

    A ClaimSchool™ Publication © 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

    Read the full issue at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-november-15-2024-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-cxkycVolume 28, Issue 21 – November 15, 2024

    “Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them.”

    Thomas Jefferson

    Insurance Fraud Requires Doctor to Lose his License

    Sexual Misconduct, Fraud, Bribery & Unnecessary Surgery Revokes License

    Louis Quartararo appealed from an August 22, 2022 final agency decision of the State Board of Medical Examiners (Board), revoking his license to practice medicine and surgery in New Jersey. The Superior Court of New Jersey, in In The Matter Of The Suspension Or Revocation Of The License Of Louis Quartararo, M.D. License No. 25MA07137700 To Practice Medicine And Surgery In The State Of New Jersey, No. A-0425-22, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division (October 31, 2024) affirmed the revocation.

    The Board charged Dr. Quartararo with engaging in sexual contact with patients; negligent acts by performing surgeries with co-surgeons who lacked the requisite privileges; and acts of fraud, deception and misrepresentation by miscoding procedures on patient operative reports and listing procedures in the reports he had not performed for the purpose of ensuring insurance coverage.

    FACTS

    Quartararo was a physician and Board-certified orthopedic surgeon licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey.

    Approximately one week before K.D. was scheduled to meet with Board investigators, Quartararo gave K.D. $20,916, which K.D. told an investigator was “for school.” Later, Quartararo’s attorney offered her more money to retract the statement she had made to the Board about her relationship with Quartararo.

    THE OAL HEARING

    At a formal hearing, the Board’s expert, Dr. Ashraf addressed Quartararo’s treatment of patient Y.O. revealed that the surgical procedures Quartararo performed were not medically necessary. In reviewing the description of Quartararo’s procedure on Y.O.’s spine, Dr. Ashraf concluded that Quartararo’s surgery on Y.O.’s completely normal spine “is gross negligence.”

    Regarding the fraud claims alleging that Quartararo had failed to properly code surgical procedures that he performed on E.S., D.C., Y.O., L.V., D.E., and V.C., Dr. Ashraf testified that the “whole function” of the “operations” section on the first page of the operative report was to list the procedures that were performed during the operation and he testified that, despite “laminotomy” appearing on the first page of V.C.’s and D.C.’s reports, their post-surgery MRIs revealed that laminotomies had not been performed.

    THE ALJ’S DECISION

    The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued a comprehensive seventy-nine-page decision and concluded that Quartararo had “engaged in gross malpractice, professional misconduct, failure to comply with regulations administered by the Board, and failure to be of good moral character.”

    On August 22, 2022, the Board filed its final decision, revoking Quartararo’s license for a minimum of seven years from the date of voluntary surrender, April 5, 2019. The Board concluded that Quartararo’s “misconduct warrants a serious penalty in excess of that recommended by [the ALJ]” and that he “flagrantly ignored, and in fact shattered professional norms when he engaged in sexual misconduct with patients Y.R. and K.D.” The Board found Quartararo’s conduct was “so egregious that the only appropriate discipline is a license revocation.”

    The Board also imposed an aggregate monetary sanction of $343,909.75, comprised of a civil penalty of $90,000, $61,684.75 in costs, and $192,225 in attorney’s fees.

    Quartararo Argued

    The Board determined that revocation was warranted because he preyed on two vulnerable patients employed intimidation and coercion tactics to dissuade at least one of his victims-K.D.- from testifying about the true nature of their relation and resorted to making threats resulting in the issuance of a temporary restraining order against him.

    Quartararo admitted he had not performed laminotomies and that he had used the laminotomy code to ensure that he would be paid by insurance carriers. He did so rather than correctly coding the procedures he actually performed because of the risk he would otherwise not be paid.

    ZIFL OPINION

    Quartararo admitted before the ALJ that he committed fraud by billing insurers for laminotomies that he did not perform. As such he admitted to committing a federal as well as a New Jersey felony that should be presented to the US Attorney and the local District Attorney for prosecution. He lost his license because he took advantage sexually of vulnerable patients, committed gross acts of malpractice and profited from knowing insurance fraud. The people of New Jersey are now safe from his criminal and unprofessional conduct for a few more years, and in my opinion he should be prosecuted and sentenced to prison for the fraud.

    Read the full issue at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-november-15-2024-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-cxkyc

    IT PAYS INSURER DEFENDANTS TO INVESTIGATE INJURY CLAIMS

    In Chris Kallco v. Melissa Lynn Pugh, Chris Kallco, and Precise Mri Of Michigan, LLC v. Citizens Insurance Company Of The Midwest and Melissa Lynn Pugh, No. 368156, Court of Appeals of Michigan (October 30, 2024) affirmed the trial court’s decision.

    Plaintiff appealed from two orders granting summary disposition in favor of defendants even though he failed to respond to either motion.

    FACTUAL BACKGROUND

    This case arises out of a motor vehicle accident that occurred on March 9, 2020 involving plaintiff and Pugh. Plaintiff alleges that he sustained injuries from the accident. A year after the accident, plaintiff brought a negligence claim against Pugh, alleging that, because of Pugh’s negligence, plaintiff sustained “severe permanent and progressive personal injuries and serious impairment of a body function, including but not necessarily limited to: Head, Neck, Back, Shoulders ….” Plaintiff also brought a claim against Citizens for PIP benefits, including medical expenses, work loss, and replacement services.

    Pugh and Citizens moved for summary disposition arguing that plaintiff could not meet his burden of showing that he sustained a threshold injury under the no-fault act and, therefore, he could not maintain his negligence claim against her. Pugh submitted the deposition testimony of the plaintiff and the report of an independent medical examination (IME) conducted by Dr. James Bragman on December 27, 2021. Dr. Bragman further observed that plaintiff had “near full range of motion” in his neck and that he was “eminently capable” of standing and touching his toes despite his refusal to do so. Dr. Bragman noted that plaintiff had “very little” medical treatment documented in his records and that he had been undergoing physical therapy for six months with no medical basis for doing so. An investigator’s report includes pictures of plaintiff walking, riding a child’s bicycle, squatting, bending over, lifting a bicycle out of a minivan unassisted, playing with a dog, driving a car, and twisting his neck.

    Citizens’ motion argued that plaintiff made material misrepresentations to Citizens regarding the extent of his injuries, which rendered him ineligible for benefits.

    The trial court found that, based upon the evidence presented, plaintiff failed to establish that he sustained a serious impairment of body function and therefore summary disposition in favor of Pugh was appropriate.

    THRESHOLD INJURY

    Plaintiff argued that the trial court erred by granting summary disposition in favor of Pugh.

    Under the no fault statute, the threshold question of whether the person has suffered a serious impairment of body function should be determined by the court as a matter of law as long as there is no factual dispute regarding the nature and extent of the person’s injuries that is material to determining whether the threshold standards are met.

    Plaintiff was obligated to respond to Pugh’s motion in order to meet his burden of demonstrating that a fact question existed as to whether he suffered a serious impairment of body function.

    The parts of plaintiff’s deposition identified by Pugh do not establish a genuine issue of material fact as to whether he suffered a serious impairment of body function. The relevant portions of plaintiff’s deposition testimony fail to rebut the evidence and instead set forth, at best, mere subjective complaints of pain.

    FRAUDULENT INSURANCE ACT

    The fraud statute finds that a person who presents or causes or to be presented an oral or written statement knowing that the statement contains false information concerning a fact or thing material to the claim commits a fraudulent insurance act under that is subject to the penalties imposed under the statute. A claim that contains or is supported by a fraudulent insurance act as described in this subsection is ineligible for payment of PIP benefits.

    An individual commits a “fraudulent insurance act” when: (1) the person presents or causes to be presented an oral or written statement, (2) the statement is part of or in support of a claim for no-fault benefits, and (3) the claim for benefits was submitted to the MAIPF. Further, (4) the person must have known that the statement contained false information, and (5) the statement concerned a fact or thing material to the claim.

    ZIFL OPINION

    The evidence presented by the defendants were damning since they established the injuries claimed were false. Plaintiff failed to respond to the motions to his detriment and sought reconsideration without any admissible evidence that he was truly injured. The defendants established that the Plaintiff committed fraud and he is lucky that this was a civil finding not a criminal proceeding that, in my opinion, should be presented by the prosecutor.

    More McClenny Moseley & Associates Issues

    This is ZIFL’s thirty seventh installment of the saga of McClenny, Moseley & Associates and its problems with the federal courts in the State of Louisiana and what appears to be an effort to profit from what some Magistrate and District judges may be criminal conduct to profit from insurance claims relating to hurricane damage to the public of the state of Louisiana.

    Health Insurance Fraud Convictions
    Pharmacist and Brother Convicted of $15M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud Scheme

    Raad Kouza, a pharmacist in Wayne County, Michigan, and his brother, Ramis Kouza, of Oakland County, Michigan, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at pharmacies they owned or operated in Michigan. A federal jury convicted the pharmacy owner and his brother November 8, 2024 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.

    Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf

    Indicators of Bad Faith Set Up

    Some of the more common red flags of a bad faith set-up include the following:

    The claimant makes a policy limits settlement demand quickly after an accident, thereby depriving the insurer of the ability to conduct a full investigation.
    Quick demands that are combined with a limited amount of time to accept, again, in the hopes that records cannot be obtained and the investigation cannot be completed within that limited time period, and the settlement will be refused.
    The claimant makes a settlement offer with one or more unusual acceptance conditions.
    The involvement of the claimant’s counsel pre-dates certain medical or psychiatric care (e.g., testing and treatment for alleged mild traumatic brain injury)

    Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://https//zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024.pdf

    Convictions of Other Than Health Insurance Fraud
    Star in Reality TV Series Pleads Guilty Crop Insurance Fraud

    Steve A. McBee, 52, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a federal information that charges him with one count of federal crop insurance fraud. McBee, a Missouri farmer who appears in a reality TV show about his family’s farming operation pleaded guilty this week to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits.

    Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf

    Chutzpah – STOLI Fraudster Claims Hardship
    Felon Seeks Release from Home Confinement in Luxury Apartment in New York City

    Insurance Fraud is a serious crime, especially when it takes advantage of the elderly to defraud insurers in a Stranger Originated Life Insurance (STOLI) scheme. In United States Of America v. Michael Binday, No. 12 CR 152 (CM), United States District Court, S.D. New York (November 4, 2024) the defendant continued to use the wealth he gained from his fraud to impose on the courts of the United States with frivolous and unfounded motions.

    Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf

    Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE

    Barry Zalma, Inc., 4441 Sepulveda Boulevard, CULVER CITY CA 90230-4847, 310-390-4455. Subscribe to Excellence in Claims Handling at https://barryzalma.substack.com/welcome.
    Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter September 15, 2024 Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter A ClaimSchool™ Publication © 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc. Read the full issue at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-november-15-2024-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-cxkycVolume 28, Issue 21 – November 15, 2024 “Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them.” Thomas Jefferson Insurance Fraud Requires Doctor to Lose his License Sexual Misconduct, Fraud, Bribery & Unnecessary Surgery Revokes License Louis Quartararo appealed from an August 22, 2022 final agency decision of the State Board of Medical Examiners (Board), revoking his license to practice medicine and surgery in New Jersey. The Superior Court of New Jersey, in In The Matter Of The Suspension Or Revocation Of The License Of Louis Quartararo, M.D. License No. 25MA07137700 To Practice Medicine And Surgery In The State Of New Jersey, No. A-0425-22, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division (October 31, 2024) affirmed the revocation. The Board charged Dr. Quartararo with engaging in sexual contact with patients; negligent acts by performing surgeries with co-surgeons who lacked the requisite privileges; and acts of fraud, deception and misrepresentation by miscoding procedures on patient operative reports and listing procedures in the reports he had not performed for the purpose of ensuring insurance coverage. FACTS Quartararo was a physician and Board-certified orthopedic surgeon licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey. Approximately one week before K.D. was scheduled to meet with Board investigators, Quartararo gave K.D. $20,916, which K.D. told an investigator was “for school.” Later, Quartararo’s attorney offered her more money to retract the statement she had made to the Board about her relationship with Quartararo. THE OAL HEARING At a formal hearing, the Board’s expert, Dr. Ashraf addressed Quartararo’s treatment of patient Y.O. revealed that the surgical procedures Quartararo performed were not medically necessary. In reviewing the description of Quartararo’s procedure on Y.O.’s spine, Dr. Ashraf concluded that Quartararo’s surgery on Y.O.’s completely normal spine “is gross negligence.” Regarding the fraud claims alleging that Quartararo had failed to properly code surgical procedures that he performed on E.S., D.C., Y.O., L.V., D.E., and V.C., Dr. Ashraf testified that the “whole function” of the “operations” section on the first page of the operative report was to list the procedures that were performed during the operation and he testified that, despite “laminotomy” appearing on the first page of V.C.’s and D.C.’s reports, their post-surgery MRIs revealed that laminotomies had not been performed. THE ALJ’S DECISION The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) issued a comprehensive seventy-nine-page decision and concluded that Quartararo had “engaged in gross malpractice, professional misconduct, failure to comply with regulations administered by the Board, and failure to be of good moral character.” On August 22, 2022, the Board filed its final decision, revoking Quartararo’s license for a minimum of seven years from the date of voluntary surrender, April 5, 2019. The Board concluded that Quartararo’s “misconduct warrants a serious penalty in excess of that recommended by [the ALJ]” and that he “flagrantly ignored, and in fact shattered professional norms when he engaged in sexual misconduct with patients Y.R. and K.D.” The Board found Quartararo’s conduct was “so egregious that the only appropriate discipline is a license revocation.” The Board also imposed an aggregate monetary sanction of $343,909.75, comprised of a civil penalty of $90,000, $61,684.75 in costs, and $192,225 in attorney’s fees. Quartararo Argued The Board determined that revocation was warranted because he preyed on two vulnerable patients employed intimidation and coercion tactics to dissuade at least one of his victims-K.D.- from testifying about the true nature of their relation and resorted to making threats resulting in the issuance of a temporary restraining order against him. Quartararo admitted he had not performed laminotomies and that he had used the laminotomy code to ensure that he would be paid by insurance carriers. He did so rather than correctly coding the procedures he actually performed because of the risk he would otherwise not be paid. ZIFL OPINION Quartararo admitted before the ALJ that he committed fraud by billing insurers for laminotomies that he did not perform. As such he admitted to committing a federal as well as a New Jersey felony that should be presented to the US Attorney and the local District Attorney for prosecution. He lost his license because he took advantage sexually of vulnerable patients, committed gross acts of malpractice and profited from knowing insurance fraud. The people of New Jersey are now safe from his criminal and unprofessional conduct for a few more years, and in my opinion he should be prosecuted and sentenced to prison for the fraud. Read the full issue at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-november-15-2024-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-cxkyc IT PAYS INSURER DEFENDANTS TO INVESTIGATE INJURY CLAIMS In Chris Kallco v. Melissa Lynn Pugh, Chris Kallco, and Precise Mri Of Michigan, LLC v. Citizens Insurance Company Of The Midwest and Melissa Lynn Pugh, No. 368156, Court of Appeals of Michigan (October 30, 2024) affirmed the trial court’s decision. Plaintiff appealed from two orders granting summary disposition in favor of defendants even though he failed to respond to either motion. FACTUAL BACKGROUND This case arises out of a motor vehicle accident that occurred on March 9, 2020 involving plaintiff and Pugh. Plaintiff alleges that he sustained injuries from the accident. A year after the accident, plaintiff brought a negligence claim against Pugh, alleging that, because of Pugh’s negligence, plaintiff sustained “severe permanent and progressive personal injuries and serious impairment of a body function, including but not necessarily limited to: Head, Neck, Back, Shoulders ….” Plaintiff also brought a claim against Citizens for PIP benefits, including medical expenses, work loss, and replacement services. Pugh and Citizens moved for summary disposition arguing that plaintiff could not meet his burden of showing that he sustained a threshold injury under the no-fault act and, therefore, he could not maintain his negligence claim against her. Pugh submitted the deposition testimony of the plaintiff and the report of an independent medical examination (IME) conducted by Dr. James Bragman on December 27, 2021. Dr. Bragman further observed that plaintiff had “near full range of motion” in his neck and that he was “eminently capable” of standing and touching his toes despite his refusal to do so. Dr. Bragman noted that plaintiff had “very little” medical treatment documented in his records and that he had been undergoing physical therapy for six months with no medical basis for doing so. An investigator’s report includes pictures of plaintiff walking, riding a child’s bicycle, squatting, bending over, lifting a bicycle out of a minivan unassisted, playing with a dog, driving a car, and twisting his neck. Citizens’ motion argued that plaintiff made material misrepresentations to Citizens regarding the extent of his injuries, which rendered him ineligible for benefits. The trial court found that, based upon the evidence presented, plaintiff failed to establish that he sustained a serious impairment of body function and therefore summary disposition in favor of Pugh was appropriate. THRESHOLD INJURY Plaintiff argued that the trial court erred by granting summary disposition in favor of Pugh. Under the no fault statute, the threshold question of whether the person has suffered a serious impairment of body function should be determined by the court as a matter of law as long as there is no factual dispute regarding the nature and extent of the person’s injuries that is material to determining whether the threshold standards are met. Plaintiff was obligated to respond to Pugh’s motion in order to meet his burden of demonstrating that a fact question existed as to whether he suffered a serious impairment of body function. The parts of plaintiff’s deposition identified by Pugh do not establish a genuine issue of material fact as to whether he suffered a serious impairment of body function. The relevant portions of plaintiff’s deposition testimony fail to rebut the evidence and instead set forth, at best, mere subjective complaints of pain. FRAUDULENT INSURANCE ACT The fraud statute finds that a person who presents or causes or to be presented an oral or written statement knowing that the statement contains false information concerning a fact or thing material to the claim commits a fraudulent insurance act under that is subject to the penalties imposed under the statute. A claim that contains or is supported by a fraudulent insurance act as described in this subsection is ineligible for payment of PIP benefits. An individual commits a “fraudulent insurance act” when: (1) the person presents or causes to be presented an oral or written statement, (2) the statement is part of or in support of a claim for no-fault benefits, and (3) the claim for benefits was submitted to the MAIPF. Further, (4) the person must have known that the statement contained false information, and (5) the statement concerned a fact or thing material to the claim. ZIFL OPINION The evidence presented by the defendants were damning since they established the injuries claimed were false. Plaintiff failed to respond to the motions to his detriment and sought reconsideration without any admissible evidence that he was truly injured. The defendants established that the Plaintiff committed fraud and he is lucky that this was a civil finding not a criminal proceeding that, in my opinion, should be presented by the prosecutor. More McClenny Moseley & Associates Issues This is ZIFL’s thirty seventh installment of the saga of McClenny, Moseley & Associates and its problems with the federal courts in the State of Louisiana and what appears to be an effort to profit from what some Magistrate and District judges may be criminal conduct to profit from insurance claims relating to hurricane damage to the public of the state of Louisiana. Health Insurance Fraud Convictions Pharmacist and Brother Convicted of $15M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud Scheme Raad Kouza, a pharmacist in Wayne County, Michigan, and his brother, Ramis Kouza, of Oakland County, Michigan, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at pharmacies they owned or operated in Michigan. A federal jury convicted the pharmacy owner and his brother November 8, 2024 for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf Indicators of Bad Faith Set Up Some of the more common red flags of a bad faith set-up include the following: The claimant makes a policy limits settlement demand quickly after an accident, thereby depriving the insurer of the ability to conduct a full investigation. Quick demands that are combined with a limited amount of time to accept, again, in the hopes that records cannot be obtained and the investigation cannot be completed within that limited time period, and the settlement will be refused. The claimant makes a settlement offer with one or more unusual acceptance conditions. The involvement of the claimant’s counsel pre-dates certain medical or psychiatric care (e.g., testing and treatment for alleged mild traumatic brain injury) Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at http://https//zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024.pdf Convictions of Other Than Health Insurance Fraud Star in Reality TV Series Pleads Guilty Crop Insurance Fraud Steve A. McBee, 52, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a federal information that charges him with one count of federal crop insurance fraud. McBee, a Missouri farmer who appears in a reality TV show about his family’s farming operation pleaded guilty this week to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme involving federal crop insurance benefits. Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf Chutzpah – STOLI Fraudster Claims Hardship Felon Seeks Release from Home Confinement in Luxury Apartment in New York City Insurance Fraud is a serious crime, especially when it takes advantage of the elderly to defraud insurers in a Stranger Originated Life Insurance (STOLI) scheme. In United States Of America v. Michael Binday, No. 12 CR 152 (CM), United States District Court, S.D. New York (November 4, 2024) the defendant continued to use the wealth he gained from his fraud to impose on the courts of the United States with frivolous and unfounded motions. Read the full article and the full issue of ZIFL at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ZIFL-11-15-2024-1.pdf Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE Barry Zalma, Inc., 4441 Sepulveda Boulevard, CULVER CITY CA 90230-4847, 310-390-4455. Subscribe to Excellence in Claims Handling at https://barryzalma.substack.com/welcome.
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  • Hypnotized by Subliminal Messaging & More: Unraveling the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Phenomenon
    https://reinettesenumsfoghornexpress.substack.com/p/hypnotized-by-subliminal-messaging

    I'm going to take you down a rabbit hole, similar to how your parents did when they read you Alice's Wonderland as a child.

    Remember when you thought the most sinister thing about your favorite childhood TV show was that annoying earworm of a neverending theme song?

    Those were the good ol' days.

    In 2017, I remember a Samsung website called "Unspoil Me,” claiming it could erase your memories of your favorite TV shows as a child, kid-you-not. This would have been one of my favorite two shows, The Bionic Woman or The Carol Burnett Show (it's true, I wanted to grow up and become a Bionic Carol Burnett). This website promised to give me the “opportunity” to, once again, experience my favorite show as a child, but with a fresh set of eyes.

    That's correct. Once I checked off a box claiming I was over 18, this website took me through a series of prompts, asking me to recall specific childhood television shows. It then guided me through a multi-minute process of hypnosis, supposedly to erase all my memories of my beloved Jaime Sommers and Carol Burnett.

    I did as prompted and watched a swirling circle on the screen as a calm voice began giving me instructions to hypnotize me.

    Seriously. This is for real.
    Hypnotized by Subliminal Messaging & More: Unraveling the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Phenomenon https://reinettesenumsfoghornexpress.substack.com/p/hypnotized-by-subliminal-messaging I'm going to take you down a rabbit hole, similar to how your parents did when they read you Alice's Wonderland as a child. Remember when you thought the most sinister thing about your favorite childhood TV show was that annoying earworm of a neverending theme song? Those were the good ol' days. In 2017, I remember a Samsung website called "Unspoil Me,” claiming it could erase your memories of your favorite TV shows as a child, kid-you-not. This would have been one of my favorite two shows, The Bionic Woman or The Carol Burnett Show (it's true, I wanted to grow up and become a Bionic Carol Burnett). This website promised to give me the “opportunity” to, once again, experience my favorite show as a child, but with a fresh set of eyes. That's correct. Once I checked off a box claiming I was over 18, this website took me through a series of prompts, asking me to recall specific childhood television shows. It then guided me through a multi-minute process of hypnosis, supposedly to erase all my memories of my beloved Jaime Sommers and Carol Burnett. I did as prompted and watched a swirling circle on the screen as a calm voice began giving me instructions to hypnotize me. Seriously. This is for real.
    REINETTESENUMSFOGHORNEXPRESS.SUBSTACK.COM
    Hypnotized by Subliminal Messaging & More: Unraveling the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) Phenomenon
    Examining the unseen forces driving our emotional responses following the 2024 U.S. elections.
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  • MATTEL'S WICKED MOVIE DOLLS ´MISTAKENLY´ LIST PORNOGRAPHY WEBSITE ON PACKAGING

    a mistake?
    yeah right

    For you to believe this horsespit, you'd need to be completely ignorant of WHO RUNS THESE #CORPORATIONS!



    https://old.bitchute.com/video/vW1sBwV5IYct/
    MATTEL'S WICKED MOVIE DOLLS ´MISTAKENLY´ LIST PORNOGRAPHY WEBSITE ON PACKAGING a mistake? yeah right For you to believe this horsespit, you'd need to be completely ignorant of WHO RUNS THESE #CORPORATIONS! https://old.bitchute.com/video/vW1sBwV5IYct/
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  • Why is FEMA Staging 350 Semi Trailers w/Equipment at an Old AFB in Oscoda, Michigan?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l89iZKotC-8
    🚩Why is FEMA Staging 350 Semi Trailers w/Equipment at an Old AFB in Oscoda, Michigan? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l89iZKotC-8
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  • Why is FEMA staging 350 Semi-Trucks full of “Equipment” in Michigan for “Emergency Situations”
    • On October 28, 2024, a Township meeting occurred in Michigan.
    —— they stated that FEMA will be staging 350+ Semi trailers for of “equipment” for “emergency situations”, specific to six counties.
    These counties are:
    1. Eaton
    2. Ingham
    3. Ionia
    4. Kent
    5. Livingston
    6. Macomb
    https://rumble.com/v5o1r9e-why-is-fema-staging-350-semi-trucks-full-of-equipment-in-michigan-for-emerg.html
    Why is FEMA staging 350 Semi-Trucks full of “Equipment” in Michigan for “Emergency Situations” • On October 28, 2024, a Township meeting occurred in Michigan. —— they stated that FEMA will be staging 350+ Semi trailers for of “equipment” for “emergency situations”, specific to six counties. These counties are: 1. Eaton 2. Ingham 3. Ionia 4. Kent 5. Livingston 6. Macomb https://rumble.com/v5o1r9e-why-is-fema-staging-350-semi-trucks-full-of-equipment-in-michigan-for-emerg.html
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