February 26, 2021

Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC v Travelers Indem. Co. of Conn. (2021 NY Slip Op 50156(U))

Headnote

The provider's summary judgment motion was granted and the insurer's cross motion denied despite its New Jersey choice-of-law argument. The Appellate Term, Second Department, affirmed the order applying New York law for the reasons stated in Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC v Travelers Ins. Co. The insurer's sole appellate contention was that New Jersey law controlled the assigned no-fault benefits action.

Reported in New York Official Reports at Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC v Travelers Indem. Co. of Conn. (2021 NY Slip Op 50156(U))

[*1]
Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC v Travelers Indem. Co. of Conn.
2021 NY Slip Op 50156(U) [70 Misc 3d 142(A)]
Decided on February 26, 2021
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This opinion is uncorrected and will not be published in the printed Official Reports.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 February 26, 2021
SUPREME COURT, APPELLATE TERM, SECOND DEPARTMENT, 2d, 11th and 13th JUDICIAL DISTRICTS

PRESENT: : THOMAS P. ALIOTTA, P.J., DAVID ELLIOT, WAVNY TOUSSAINT, JJ
2019-883 K C

Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC, as Assignee of Zheng Hua, Respondent,

against

Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, Appellant.


Law Office of Tina Newsome-Lee (Michael J. Rivers of counsel), for appellant. Law Offices of Ilona Finkelshteyn, P.C., for respondent (no brief filed).

Appeal from an order of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Kings County (Odessa Kennedy, J.), entered March 11, 2019. The order granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and denied defendant’s cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

ORDERED that the order is affirmed, with $25 costs.

In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, defendant appeals from an order of the Civil Court entered March 11, 2019 which, applying New York law, granted plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment and denied defendant’s cross motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint. The order states, in part, that “the injured party is a New York resident, who obtained treatment, which is the basis of the instant action, from medical providers in New York. The only connection of the instant matter to New Jersey is the location of the incident.” Defendant’s sole appellate contention is that the Civil Court should have found that the law of New Jersey controlled.

For the reasons stated in Schottenstein Pain & Neuro, PLLC v Travelers Ins. Co. (70 Misc 3d 131[A], 2020 NY Slip Op 51549[U] [App Term, 2d Dept, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2020]), the order is affirmed.

ALIOTTA, P.J., ELLIOT and TOUSSAINT, JJ., concur.


ENTER:
Paul Kenny
Chief Clerk
Decision Date: February 26, 2021