Monday, August 26, 2019

Denial of No-Fault Benefits to Assignee of Rate Evader Upheld in Arbitration

NO-FAULT – RATE EVASION – AAA ARBITRATION DECISION
Matter of Bronx Chiropractic Health Services, PC aao SB and State Farm Fire & Cas. Co.
(AAA Case No. 17-18-1114-9479, issued 8/23/2019)

This morning my office received this AAA award/decision, upholding our client's denial of no-fault benefits based on the assignor's proven rate evasion:
The EUO on the EIP/insured took place on October 29, 2018. The information that was provided based upon the testimony of the insured is that there was no real connection to the state of Maine, the policy under which the car was insured. The EIP's driver's license was NY and she was employed at Columbia Hospital. There was no real nexus between the EIP and Maine. The Respondent therefore provided the affidavit of Christina XXXX and [sic] underwriter for the Respondent. Had the Respondent been aware of the false information the policy would never had been issued. 
Applicant has not submitted any evidence to rebut the contentions made by the Respondent. 
Based upon the facts herein and the evidence provided, I find that Respondent has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence as a matter of law that EIP made material misrepresentations as to the facts surrounding the issuance of the policy. 
Applicant's claim is therefore denied.
In this case, the assignor's EUO, which my office conducted, proved to be key in supporting the insurer's rate evasion-based denial of first-party benefits. 

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