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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

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Fraudulent Claims of Injury Defeated Respond to Motions for Summary Adjudication or Always Lose Posted on November 8, 2024 by Barry Zalma Post 4928 Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fraudulent-claims-injury-defeated-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-kitgc, See the full video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog IT PAYS DEFENDANTS TO INVESTIGATE INJURY CLAIMS Plaintiff appealed from two orders granting summary disposition in favor of defendants even though he failed to respond to either motion. 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. 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 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. ZALMA 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. (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

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Man Bites Dog Story: Fraudsters Arbitration Attempts Stopped Arbitration Stayed for Suspected Chiropractors’ Fraudulent No Fault Medical Claims Post 4921 Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/man-bites-dog-story-fraudsters-arbitration-attempts-zalma-esq-cfe-5yw6c, see the full video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog. In Government Employees Insurance Company, (“GEICO”) v. Didier Demesmin, M.D., et al, No. 23-CV-6191 (ARR) (MMH), United States District Court, E.D. New York (October 23, 2024) GEICO sought to enjoin defendants Manuel A. Mendoza, D.C. and Mendoza Chiropractic Office PC (collectively the “Mendoza Defendants”) from pursuing certain “no-fault” insurance collection arbitrations or initiating new collections proceedings during the pendency of this lawsuit. BACKGROUND GEICO provides personal injury protection benefits on a “no-fault” basis, which means that, after an accident, insured drivers and their passengers are entitled to certain benefits for medically necessary healthcare services regardless of who was at fault. GEICO sued a group of healthcare providers who allegedly carried out an insurance scheme to obtain fraudulent no-fault benefit payments from GEICO. The USDC granted the motion based on its conclusion that (1) GEICO would experience irreparable harm absent a stay, (2) GEICO raised a serious question going to the merits, and (3) the balance of hardships tipped in GEICO’s favor. Subsequently, GEICO requested leave to file a second amended complaint to add allegations concerning the Mendoza defendants which was granted. In total, GEICO seeks recovery of more than $5.9 million in wrongfully obtained benefits payments from the three groups of defendants, as well as a declaration that it is not obligated to reimburse defendants for outstanding no-fault claims. After filing the second amended complaint, GEICO filed the present motion seeking an order staying all pending no-fault benefits arbitrations between GEICO and the Mendoza defendants and enjoining the Mendoza defendants from commencing new collections proceedings during the pendency of this action. DISCUSSION GEICO Will Experience Irreparable Harm Absent A Stay. Irreparable harm is certain and imminent harm for which a monetary award does not adequately compensate. the risk of inconsistent judgments in no-fault insurance disputes can constitute irreparable harm separate and apart from the expenditure of time and money spent on parallel proceedings. As with the parallel proceedings brought by the Demesmin and Khanan defendants, the risk of inconsistent outcomes is great enough to establish irreparable harm. GEICO established irreparable harm because permitting arbitrations to proceed will subject it to a risk of judgments that may be inconsistent with future judicial rulings. GEICO Has Shown At Least Some Serious Questions Going To The Merits, And The Balance Of Hardships Tips In Its Favor. GEICO’s amended complaint details a complex scheme of fraudulent billing and referrals among a network of chiropractic providers. GEICO’s allegations concerning the Mendoza defendants’ role are well developed through numerous examples of charges billed without proper documentation or under suspicious circumstances and a table of more than 45,000 suspect claims. The balance of hardships also tips in GEICO’s favor because the Mendoza defendants have not established any hardship, beyond a delay in reimbursement. Because the defendants will presumably be entitled to collect interest on their pending claims if they prevail, the delay does not outweigh the risk of inconsistent outcomes faced by GEICO. A Stay Does Not Violate The Anti-Injunction Act. The Anti-Injunction Act (“AIA”) prohibits federal courts from enjoining proceedings in state court “except as expressly authorized by Act of Congress, or where necessary in aid of its jurisdiction, or to protect or effectuate its judgments.” 28 U.S.C. § 2283. The AIA does not, however, limit the court’s authority to enjoin ongoing private arbitration proceedings or the court’s authority to enjoin defendants from initiating future state court proceedings. GEICO’s motion was granted and a preliminary injunction was issued: staying all pending no-fault insurance collection arbitrations that have been Commenced against GEICO by or on behalf of the Mendoza defendants, pending the disposition of GEICO’s claims in this action, and enjoining the Mendoza defendants and anyone acting on their behalf from commencing new no-fault arbitrations and litigations against GEICO pending the disposition of GEICO’s claims in this action. ZALMA OPINION The USDC, and other courts dealing with No-Fault auto insurance claims, has acted to help insurers defeat attempted insurance fraud – a crime in each state like New Jersey – which became necessary because state prosecutors seemed to ignore the crimes reported to them by insurers like GEICO. It is essential that insurers be proactive against fraud to shame the insurance fraud investigators in each state to do their job and prosecute the fraud perpetrators. Every insurer, faced with such fraud, should emulate GEICO. (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