Opinion
2013-11-12
AMERICAN TRANSIT INSURANCE COMPANY, Plaintiff–Appellant, v. Maria MARTE–ROSARIO, et al., Defendants, Empire Acupuncture, PC, et al., Defendants–Respondents.
The Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum, P.C., Garden City (Jason Tenenbaum of counsel), for appellant. Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt, P.C., Brooklyn (Melissa Betancourt of counsel), for Empire Acupuncture, PC, respondent.
The Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum, P.C., Garden City (Jason Tenenbaum of counsel), for appellant. Law Offices of Melissa Betancourt, P.C., Brooklyn (Melissa Betancourt of counsel), for Empire Acupuncture, PC, respondent.
Amos Weinberg, Great Neck, for Multiple Medical Health Services P.C. and Infinite Chiropractic, PLLC, respondents.
TOM, J.P., ANDRIAS, FRIEDMAN, FREEDMAN, CLARK, JJ.
Order, Supreme Court, Bronx County (John A. Barone, J.), entered December 24, 2012, which, insofar as appealed from as limited by the briefs, denied plaintiff's motion for summary judgment against defendants Multiple Medical Health Services, P.C. and Infinite Chiropractic, PLLC, unanimously reversed, on the law, with costs, the motion granted, and it is declared that plaintiff owes no coverage duty to said defendants.
Plaintiff established its entitlement to summary judgment by submitting an affidavit of service demonstrating that the notices scheduling independent medical examinations (IMEs), in connection with a no-fault insurance claim filed by Maria Marte–Rosario, were properly mailed to her and her counsel, and the doctor's affidavit establishing Marte–Rosario's failure to appear at the scheduled IMEs ( see American Tr. Ins. Co. v. Solorzano, 108 A.D.3d 449, 968 N.Y.S.2d 372 [1st Dept.2013] ). The affidavit of service raised a presumption that a proper mailing occurred, which defendants failed to rebut by submitting a returned letter to Marte–Rosario from her counsel, with the name of her street apparently misspelled; in any event, there is no evidence rebutting the showing that the notices were served on Marte–Rosario's counsel ( see Matter of Ariel Servs., Inc. v. New York City Envtl. Control Bd., 89 A.D.3d 415, 931 N.Y.S.2d 857 [1st Dept.2011] ). As it is undisputed that Marte–Rosario's appearance at scheduled IMEs was a condition precedent to coverage, plaintiff was entitled to deny the claim ( see Unitrin Advantage Ins. Co. v. Bayshore Physical Therapy, PLLC, 82 A.D.3d 559, 918 N.Y.S.2d 473 [1st Dept.2011], lv. denied17 N.Y.3d 705, 929 N.Y.S.2d 96, 952 N.E.2d 1091 [2011] ). Defendant Empire Acupuncture, PC (Empire), which has not appealed from the order, requests modification of the order to deny plaintiff's motion for summary judgment against it and grant Empire's motion for summary judgment against plaintiff. Contrary to plaintiff's contention, the court's reference to a “default” by Empire does not render the portion of the order pertaining to Empire nonappealable pursuant to CPLR 5511, since Empire opposed plaintiff's motion for summary judgment against it ( see Spatz v. Bajramoski, 214 A.D.2d 436, 436, 624 N.Y.S.2d 606 [1st Dept.1995] ). However, although we are empowered to search the record and grant the relief sought by Empire under these circumstances ( see generally Merritt Hill Vineyards v. Windy Hgts. Vineyard, 61 N.Y.2d 106, 472 N.Y.S.2d 592, 460 N.E.2d 1077 [1984];Brewster v. FTM Servo, Corp., 44 A.D.3d 351, 844 N.Y.S.2d 5 [1st Dept.2007] ), we have considered and rejected Empire's arguments on the merits.