FOREST PARK ACUPUNCTURE v. NATIONWIDE PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE CO (2022)

ORDERED that the order, insofar as appealed from, is reversed, with $30 costs, and defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint is granted.

In this action by a provider to recover assigned first-party no-fault benefits, defendant appeals from so much of an order of the Civil Court as denied defendant's motion which had sought summary judgment dismissing the complaint on the ground that plaintiff's assignor failed to appear for duly scheduled examinations under oath (EUOs). The Civil Court found, in effect pursuant to CPLR 3212 (g), that plaintiff established the timely mailing of the bills and defendant established the timely mailing of its denials, and limited the issue for trial to defendant's “EUO no show defense as to the March 27, 2017 date.”

In its motion, defendant established that a letter scheduling the EUO for March 27, 2017 was timely and properly mailed (see St. Vincent's Hosp. of Richmond v Government Empls. Ins. Co., 50 AD3d 1123 [2008]). The affirmation of defendant's counsel, as well as the transcript of the March 27, 2017 EUO, was sufficient to establish that plaintiff's assignor failed to appear for that EUO (Pavlova v Nationwide Ins., 70 Misc 3d 144[A], 2021 NY Slip Op 50213[U] [App Term, 2d Dept, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud Dists 2021]). Consequently, as plaintiff failed to raise a triable issue of fact in opposition to defendant's motion or otherwise challenge the implicit CPLR 3212 (g) finding in defendant's favor, defendant is entitled to summary judgment dismissing the complaint.

Accordingly, the order, insofar as appealed from, is reversed and defendant's motion for summary judgment dismissing the complaint is granted.

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