Zalma on Insurance
Education • Business
Insurance Claims professional presents articles and videos on insurance, insurance Claims and insurance law for insurance Claims adjusters, insurance professionals and insurance lawyers who wish to improve their skills and knowledge. Presented by an internationally recognized expert and author.
Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
January 12, 2024
ALLSTATE TAKES A BITE OUT OF CRIME

Another Proactive Insurer Works to Take the Profit Out of Insurance Fraud

Barry Zalma
Jan 12, 2024

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/geTVCRzQ and see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gytznEH4 and at https://lnkd.in/gDDZjyZE and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4700 posts.

Post 4709

In Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Company, Allstate Fire & Casualty Insurance Company, and Allstate Property & Casualty Insurance Company v. Bradley Pierre, Medical Reimbursement Consultants Inc., Marvin Moy, M.D., Rutland Medical P.C. D/B/A Medicalnow, William A. Weiner, D.O., and Nexray Medical Imaging, P.C. d/b/a Soul Radiology Medical Imaging, No. 23-CV-06572 (NGG) (LB), United States District Court, E.D. New York (January 8, 2024) Allstate joins GEICO and other insurers taking a proactive effort against no-fault insurance fraud perpetrators.

Plaintiffs Allstate Insurance Company sued Bradley Pierre, et al, alleging that Defendants defrauded Allstate in violation of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO,” 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), (d)), by submitting hundreds of fraudulent bills for no-fault insurance payments. (See Compl. (Dkt. 1) ¶¶ 459-542.) Plaintiffs also allege common law fraud and unjust enrichment and seek a declaratory judgment as to all past, present, or future bills.

Allstate moved for a preliminary injunction to stay all pending no-fault insurance collection arbitrations commenced against Allstate by Defendants and Plaintiffs requested waive their obligation to post security for the injunction.

BACKGROUND

Operation of the Alleged Scheme

The USDC concluded that the “allegations reviewing the fraudulent scheme in Allstate’s Complaint are overwhelming.” Defendant Marvin Moy, M.D., a licensed physician, purported to be the sole officer, director, and shareholder of Rutland but was merely a nominal owner. In reality, Moy ceded actual control over Rutland to Defendant Bradley Pierre, a layperson who does not hold a medical license and therefore is not authorized to own, control, or manage a medical professional corporation.

As a result of this extensive scheme, Allstate has paid in excess of $2,749,000.00 for no-fault claims submitted by the PC Defendants. Moreover, Defendants Pierre, Moy, and Weiner are currently facing criminal charges related to the scheme and the very allegations at issue in this case. See United States v. Pierre, No. 1:22-CR-00019 (PGG) (S.D.N.Y.) (hereinafter, the “Criminal Action”).

Evidence of the Alleged Scheme

In support of its fraud claims, Allstate has submitted an abundance of evidence. Accordingly, Allstate seeks reimbursement of the more than $2,749,000.00 it has paid Defendants and in addition to a declaration that it is under no obligation to pay any pending or future no-fault insurance claims.

DISCUSSION

When seeking an injunction a party must establish that without the injunction the plaintiff will suffer irreparable harm. To establish irreparable harm, a party seeking preliminary injunctive relief must show that there is a continuing harm which cannot be adequately redressed by final relief on the merits and for which money damages cannot provide adequate compensation. The harm must be shown to be actual and imminent, not remote or speculative.

Allstate argued that it will suffer irreparable harm because (1) there is significant risk of inconsistent results in the arbitration proceedings, (2) the time, effort, and money spent litigating these proceedings cannot be cured by money damages, and (3) arbitrations continue to be filed and adjudicated despite Defendant Moy, the sole official shareholder of Rutland, disappearing in October 2022.

The risk of inconsistent judgments is in addition to the expenditure of time, effort, and money that Allstate will exhaust dealing with a morass of litigation in the absence of relief that will not be cured by money damages.

Here, Allstate has sufficiently alleged that there is a serious question going to the merits of its declaratory judgment claim against Defendant Rutland and others. In its 102-page Complaint supported by numerous exhibits totaling thousands of pages, Allstate details an extensive and complex scheme centered around the fraudulent operation and control of Rutland, among other PCs, by non-physician Pierre for his own personal financial gain; unlawful patient referrals to the PC Defendants pursuant to improper agreements and kickback schemes; and fraudulent billing for unnecessary and excessive services yielding hundreds of false claims submitted to Allstate in violation of various New York state licensing laws.

CONCLUSION

Allstate’s motion for preliminary injunctive relief was GRANTED. Consequently:

1 all pending no-fault collection arbitrations by Rutland (or its agents) against Plaintiffs are stayed.

2 Rutland is enjoined from filing any further no-fault collection arbitrations or lawsuits against Allstate pending resolution of the instant federal action.

3 Allstate’s request that the court waive their obligation to post security was also GRANTED.

ZALMA OPINION

Allstate, like many other insurers writing no-fault auto insurance in New York state find that they are victims of fraudulent schemes like the one described by Allstate in its lengthy and well documented law suit and the state does nothing to stop it. The court faced with overwhelming evidence, including the fact that one of the defendants is under indictment by the federal Department of Justice. This lawsuit indicates a complete failure of the no-fault insurance system and the inability of the state of New York to police the crime. Allstate, like GEICO, should be honored and emulated for their action in an attempt to take the profit out of insurance fraud.

(c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.

Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.

Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/publish/post/107007808

Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01

Go to X @bzalma; Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barry-zalma/support; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – http://zalma.com/blog/insurance-claims-library.

Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.

Go to Newsbreak.com https://lnkd.in/g8azKc34; Subscribe to my substack at https://lnkd.in/gcZKhG6g

Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYkxD.

Interested? Want to learn more about the community?
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
9 hours ago
No Coverage for Intentional Acts

When Harm is Inherent in the Nature of the Act it is Intentional

Post 5237

See the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

No Coverage for Intentional Acts

Hitting a Person in the Face is an Intentional Act

In Unitrin Auto and Home Insurance Company v. Brian C. Sullivan, et al., George A. Ciminello, No. 2022-01607, Index No. 21632/14, Supreme Court of New York, Second Department (November 19, 2025) George A. Ciminello was injured when struck in the face by a cup filled with liquid, thrown from a moving vehicle operated by Brian C. Sullivan, with Robert Harford as the passenger who threw the cup. The vehicle approached Ciminello at about 30 mph, from 2 to 10 feet away, and Harford extended his arm to make contact. The cup splintered upon impact.

Sullivan and Harford later conceded liability on the intentional tort claim before a damages trial.

Insurance Policy:

Unitrin Auto and Home...

00:06:53
placeholder
December 04, 2025
Unmitigated Gall to Abuse an Elderly Bishop and His Church

Obtaining Title to Church by Fraud Defeated

Post 5238

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unmitigated-gall-abuse-elderly-bishop-his-church-zalma-esq-cfe-xcasc, see the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

It is Villainous to Steal Church Property from Sick and Elderly Bishop

In Testimonial Cathedral Local Church of God in Christ v. EquityKey Real Estate Option, LLC et al. (Cal. Ct. App., 2d Dist., Div. 8, No. B331522 (Nov. 18, 2025) EquityKey (through broker Steven Sharpe and Frank Wheaton, a trusted advisor/friend of elderly Bishop Jimmy Hackworth) presented a deal supposedly for a $4 million life-insurance policy on Hackworth’s life with EquityKey as beneficiary. In exchange, EquityKey paid Hackworth $400,000 upfront.
Factual Background

To qualify Hackworth for the large policy, church real property on South Western Ave., Los Angeles was temporarily ...

00:10:28
placeholder
December 03, 2025
Soldier Sentenced for Nigerian Romance Fraud

Guilty of Money Laundering Scheme
Post 5238

See the video at https://lnkd.in/gqh7V46x and at https://lnkd.in/gmE-zrDC and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

Prison Sentence for Fraud Must be Limited to the Fraud in Which the Defendant Participated

In United States v. Stephen O. Anagor, No. 2:24-CR-00019-DCLC-CRW (E.D. Tenn., Nov. 26, 2025) by Judge Clifton L. Corker the government sought to increase the defendant’s sentence because his co-conspirators added a fraudulent FBI scam that resulted in the victim’s suicide. Anagor sought a lower sentence because he was only involved in part of the fraud.

Charges & Plea

Defendant, a U.S. Army soldier pled guilty on June 11, 2025 to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Stalking Resulting in Death and Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity Theft that was part of a larger 38-count superseding indictment against Anagor and co-defendants Chinagorom Onwumere and Salma Abdalkareem for an international Nigerian-based ...

00:10:51
October 31, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 9

The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5219

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Barry Zalma

An Insurance claims professionals should be a person who:

Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
Understands the promises made by the policy.
Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
Are competent investigators.
Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Understand medicine relating to traumatic injuries and are sufficiently versed in tort law to deal with lawyers as equals.
Understand how to repair damage to real and personal property and the value of the repairs or the property.
Understand how to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insured that is fair and reasonable to both the insured and the insurer.

How to Create Claims Professionals

To avoid fraudulent claims, claims of breach of contract, bad faith, punitive damages, unresolved losses, and to make a profit, insurers ...

post photo preview
October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail
Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail

Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.

My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals