May 1, 2008

L.I. Community Med., P.C. v Allstate Ins. Co. (2008 NY Slip Op 51034(U))

Headnote

The main issue in this case was whether the master arbitrator's denial of the petitioner's claim for assigned first-party no-fault benefits was properly reached and supported by the evidence. The court considered the facts that the petitioner had sought to vacate the master arbitrator's award, and that the master arbitrator upheld the original arbitrator's decision that the petitioner was without standing to seek reimbursement of no-fault benefits. The court held that the determination of the master arbitrator had a rational basis and was not arbitrary and capricious, and accordingly the petition to vacate the master arbitrator's award was properly denied. However, the court also held that upon denying the petition, it was required to confirm the award, and that the special proceeding should terminate in a judgment rather than an order. Therefore, the court affirmed the order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, with the modification of adding a provision confirming the master arbitrator's award.

Reported in New York Official Reports at L.I. Community Med., P.C. v Allstate Ins. Co. (2008 NY Slip Op 51034(U))

L.I. Community Med., P.C. v Allstate Ins. Co. (2008 NY Slip Op 51034(U)) [*1]

L.I. Community Med., P.C. v Allstate Ins. Co.

2008 NY Slip Op 51034(U) [19 Misc 3d 142(A)]

Decided on May 1, 2008

Appellate Term, Second 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This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.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 May 1, 2008

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

APPELLATE TERM: 2nd and 11th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

PRESENT: : WESTON PATTERSON, J.P., GOLIA and RIOS, JJ
2006-1662 K C.

L.I. Community Medical, P.C. a/a/o Victoria Ramos, Appellant,
against
Allstate Insurance Company, Respondent.

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Dolores L. Waltrous, J.), entered June 22, 2006. The order denied the petition to vacate the master arbitrator’s award.

Order modified by adding thereto a provision confirming the master arbitrator’s award; as so modified, affirmed without costs.

In this proceeding to vacate a master arbitrator’s award, the record reveals that the arbitrator denied petitioner’s claim for assigned first-party no-fault benefits based on a finding that the assignment of benefits was to an entity different from petitioner, and concluded that petitioner was without standing to seek reimbursement of no-fault
benefits. The master arbitrator upheld the arbitrator’s award as properly reached and supported by the evidence. In our view, the determination of the master arbitrator had a rational basis and was not arbitrary and capricious (Damadian MRI in Garden City v Windsor Group Ins., 2 Misc 3d 138[A], 2004 NY Slip Op 50262[U] [App Term, 2d & 11th Jud Dists 2004]; see Matter of Progressive Cas. Ins. Co. v New York State Ins. Fund, 47 AD3d 633 [2008]; see generally Matter of Motor Veh. Acc. Indem. Corp. v Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co., 89 NY2d 214 [1996]; Matter of Petrofsky [Allstate Ins. Co.], 54 NY2d 207 [1981]). Accordingly, the court below properly denied the petition to vacate the master arbitrator’s award. However, upon denying the petition, the court was required, pursuant to CPLR 7511 (e), to confirm the award (see Matter of Exclusive Med. & Diagnostic v Government Empls. Ins. Co., 306 AD2d 476 [2003]).

We note that a special proceeding should terminate in a judgment, not an order (see CPLR 411).

Weston Patterson, J.P., Golia and Rios, JJ., concur.