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September 05, 2023
It’s Not Nice to Accuse a Person of Insurance Fraud

ANTI-SLAP MOTION FAILS BECAUSE PLAINTIFF NOT A PUBLIC FIGURE
Barry Zalma
Sep 5, 2023

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gGb7V9cZ and see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gUdSWZBE and at https://lnkd.in/gr2CNv2j and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4600 posts.

Tien Dung Tran, the owner of two YouTube channels, appealed from an order denying his special motion to strike plaintiffs Manh Van Truong (Mike) and Meiji Truong’s complaint pursuant to the anti-SLAPP statute. He contends plaintiffs’ claims, which include defamation and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, arise from protected activity because the statements he allegedly made on YouTube came after plaintiffs voluntarily put themselves in the public spotlight in the local Vietnamese-American community.

In Manh Van Truong et al. v. Tien Dung Tran, G061703, California Court of Appeals, August 29, 2023 the evidence did not demonstrate that the targeted comments were made in connection with an issue of public interest.

FACTS

Plaintiffs and defendant are members of the Vietnamese-American community in Orange County, California. Plaintiffs own and operate several home improvement related businesses. Defendant owns two YouTube channels for which he creates video content. The complaint refers to defendant’s YouTube content as primarily “Vietnamese community gossip.”

Following purported statements made by defendant about plaintiffs on his YouTube channels, plaintiffs sued defendant for defamation. The suit said the remarks conveyed the following about Mike that, among other things he committed insurance fraud; was a communist supporter who conspires with Vietnamese gangsters to attack America; among other things.

Nine days after plaintiffs filed an amended, more detailed, complaint, defendant filed a special motion to strike the complaint pursuant to the anti-SLAPP statute. On the first occasion, the day before the 2020 presidential election, Mike asked defendant and another highly viewed YouTube channel to come film. He agreed to have the interview livestreamed and the recording posted on defendant’s channel. The next day, Mike requested defendant remove the recorded content; defendant did so.

Following a hearing on the anti-SLAPP motion, the trial court issued an order denying it in full. Specifically, defendant did not show the alleged statements were made in connection with an issue of public interest.

DISCUSSION

Defendant asserts the trial court erroneously found the anti-SLAPP statute does not apply to plaintiffs’ claims. The court’s consideration of the anti-SLAPP motion was appropriate, notwithstanding the filing of the first amended complaint.

Litigation of an anti-SLAPP motion involves a two-step process.

1 the moving defendant bears the burden of establishing that the challenged allegations or claims arise from protected activity in which the defendant has engaged.

2 for each claim that does arise from protected activity, the plaintiff must show the claim has at least minimal merit.

If the plaintiff cannot make this showing, the court will strike the claim.

Contending the trial court erred in concluding the alleged statements fall outside the scope of the anti-SLAPP statute, defendant invokes two categories of protected activity. Among the matters to consider are whether the subject of the speech or activity was a person or entity in the public eye or could affect large numbers of people beyond the direct participants. Defendant contends plaintiffs were quasi-public figures in positions of prominence who actively sought public attention.

The defendant did not meet his burden of demonstrating the targeted statements fall within the scope of activity protected by the anti-SLAPP statute, the trial court properly denied his motion.

ZALMA OPINION

Accusing a self-made billionaire of insurance fraud and other criminal conduct is, on its face, defamatory. The Anti-Slap statute protects the publisher of such comments if the person accused is a protected activity. The attempt failed in the trial court and was affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

(c) 2023 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

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00:07:03
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Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc. (“Madelaine Chocolate”) appealed the district court’s judgment following a jury verdict in favor of Great Northern Insurance Company (“Great Northern”) concerning storm-surge damage caused by “Superstorm Sandy” to Madelaine Chocolate’s production facilities.

In Madelaine Chocolate Novelties, Inc., d.b.a. The Madelaine Chocolate Company v. Great Northern Insurance Company, No. 23-212, United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit (June 20, 2025) affirmed the trial court ruling in favor of the insurer.

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In Associated Industries Insurance Company, Inc. v. Sentinel Insurance Company, Ltd., No. 23-CV-10400 (MMG), United States District Court, S.D. New York (June 16, 2025) an insurance coverage dispute arising from a personal injury action in New York State Supreme Court.

The underlying action, Eduardo Molina v. Venchi 2, LLC, et al., concerned injuries allegedly resulting from a construction accident at premises owned by Central Area Equities Associates LLC (CAEA) and leased by Venchi 2 LLC with the USDC required to determine who was entitled to a defense from which insurer.
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00:08:22
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Post 5103

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Attack by Vicious Dog Excluded

In Foremost Insurance Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan v. Michael B. Steele and Sarah Brown and Kevin Lee Price, Civil Action No. 3:24-CV-00684, United States District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania (June 16, 2025)

Foremost Insurance Company (“Foremost”) sued Michael B. Steele (“Steele”), Sarah Brown (“Brown”), and Kevin Lee Price (“Price”) (collectively, “Defendants”). Foremost sought declaratory relief in the form of a declaration that

1. it owes no insurance coverage to Steele and has no duty to defend or indemnify Steele in an underlying tort action and
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00:08:29
May 15, 2025
Zalma's Insurance Fraud Letter - May 15, 2025

ZIFL Volume 29, Issue 10
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional

See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gK_P4-BK and at https://lnkd.in/g2Q7BHBu, and at https://zalma.com/blog and at https://lnkd.in/gjyMWHff.

Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at http://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/ You can read the full issue of the May 15, 2025 issue at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ZIFL-05-15-2025.pdf
This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:

Health Care Fraud Trial Results in Murder for Hire of Witness

To Avoid Conviction for Insurance Fraud Defendants Murder Witness

In United States of America v. Louis Age, Jr.; Stanton Guillory; Louis Age, III; Ronald Wilson, Jr., No. 22-30656, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (April 25, 2025) the Fifth Circuit dealt with the ...

May 15, 2025
CGL Is Not a Medical Malpractice Policy

Professional Health Care Services Exclusion Effective

Post 5073

See the full video at https://lnkd.in/g-f6Tjm5 and at https://lnkd.in/gx3agRzi, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.

This opinion is the recommendation of a Magistrate Judge to the District Court Judge and involves Travelers Casualty Insurance Company and its duty to defend the New Mexico Bone and Joint Institute (NMBJI) and its physicians in a medical negligence lawsuit brought by Tervon Dorsey.

In Travelers Casualty Insurance Company Of America v. New Mexico Bone And Joint Institute, P.C.; American Foundation Of Lower Extremity Surgery And Research, Inc., a New Mexico Corporation; Riley Rampton, DPM; Loren K. Spencer, DPM; Tervon Dorsey, individually; Kimberly Dorsey, individually; and Kate Ferlic as Guardian Ad Litem for K.D. and J.D., minors, No. 2:24-cv-0027 MV/DLM, United States District Court, D. New Mexico (May 8, 2025) the Magistrate Judge Recommended:

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Travelers issued a Commercial General Liability ...

April 30, 2025
The Devil’s in The Details

A Heads I Win, Tails You Lose Story
Post 5062

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Barry Zalma

"This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud that explains why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is designed to help everyone to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the ­­­Perpetrators than any Other Crime."

Immigrant Criminals Attempt to Profit From Insurance Fraud

People who commit insurance fraud as a profession do so because it is easy. It requires no capital investment. The risk is low and the profits are high. The ease with which large amounts of money can be made from insurance fraud removes whatever moral hesitation might stop the perpetrator from committing the crime.

The temptation to do everything outside the law was the downfall of the brothers Karamazov. The brothers had escaped prison in the old Soviet Union by immigrating to the United...

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