Evidence Needed to Use Staged Accident Claim as Defense
Post 5025
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In State Farm Fire And Casualty Company v. Felix A. Quinones, et al, INDEX No. 152505/2021, 2025 NY Slip Op 30754(U), MOTION SEQ. No. 002, Supreme Court, New York County (March 7, 2025) State Farm, sought to disclaim coverage for medical treatment provided to the defendants, who were involved in an automobile collision on February 26, 2020.
The court granted the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in part, declaring that State Farm has no obligation to pay claims submitted by Grand Medical Supply Corp. due to Quinones’s failure to appear for examinations under oath (EUOs).
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
In this declaratory judgment action, plaintiff seeks to disclaim coverage for medical treatment provided to defendants Felix A. Quinones, Miguel Burgos and Kevin Gonzalez for injuries Quinones, Burgos, and Gonzalez allegedly sustained in an automobile collision involving a car owned and operated by Quinones in which Burgos and Gonzalez were passengers.
In support of its motion, plaintiff submited an affidavit by Claim Specialist Dominique Wafer, transcripts from the EUOs of Burgos and Gonzalez, the certified police report and amended police report from the subject collision, and the declarations page of Quinones’s insurance policy with plaintiff.
THE DECISION
The court granted the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment in part due to Felix A. Quinones’s failure to appear for examinations under oath (EUOs).
Additionally the purported inconsistencies and inaccuracies in these transcripts raised serious credibility issues they did not meet the heavy burden required to obtain summary judgment.
ZALMA OPINION
Insurers are faced with insurance fraud and claims from staged accidents on a regular basis. The insurers and their investigators are compelled by law to conduct a full and thorough investigation by its claims or special fraud investigative unit. In this case there were many elements of a staged accident produced in the motion for summary judgment but the court was not convinced – on a motion – that the insurer proved the accident was staged. Every insurer faced with this type of attempted fraud must do a thorough investigation and produce convincing evidence that the accident was staged recognizing that all of the available red flags exist that is not evidence of fraud or of a staged accident.
(c) 2025 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
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Go to X @bzalma; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYkIn State Farm Fire And Casualty Company v. Felix A. Quinones, et al, INDEX No. 152505/2021, 2025 NY Slip Op 30754(U), MOTION SEQ. No. 002, Supreme Court, New York County (March 7, 2025) S
Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
Happy Law Day
ZIFL – Volume 30, Issue 9 – May 1, 2026
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-may-1-2026-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-2tywc, see the video at at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
THE SOURCE FOR THE INSURANCE FRAUD PROFESSIONAL
ZIFL – Volume 30, Issue 9 – May 1, 2026
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 30th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year and is written by Barry Zalma.
DOJ Creates National Fraud Enforcement Division
Will the Feds Take on Insurance Fraud? Possibly as Part of a National Anti-Fraud Effort
On April 7, 2026, the Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, issued a memorandum establishing the Department of Justice National Fraud Enforcement Division (NFED). The memo describes an ambitious, but perhaps redundant, vision for this ...
When Abalone Died As a Result of Multiple Causes The Efficient Proximate Cause Requires Payment
Post number 5345
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/efficient-proximate-cause-doctrine-saves-claim-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-yndlc, see the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
In American Abalone Farms, LLC v. Star Insurance Company et al., H052643, California Court of Appeals, Sixth District (April 27, 2026) the Court of Appeals dealt with an insurance coverage issue that required application of the efficient proximate cause doctrine.
FACTS
American Abalone Farms, LLC ("American Abalone" ) operates an aquaculture farm in Santa Cruz County, California, raising abalone in tanks. In August 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex Fires led to a prolonged power outage and road closures near the farm. As a result, the farm’s water pumps failed, causing the death of most of the ...
Breach of a Specific Condition Precedent Is a Complete Defense
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In United Services Automobile Association and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company v. Anthony Wenzell, 2026 CO 25 (Colo. Apr. 27, 2026) Anthony Wenzell was rear-ended in a car accident. He had a significant prior 2014 accident that required back surgery.
Wenzell claimed underinsured-motorist (UIM) benefits under three policies: (1) the tortfeasor’s liability policy, (2) his own primary UIM policy with State Farm, and (3) an excess UIM policy issued by USAA (under his brother’s policy, which contained an “other insurance” clause making USAA’s coverage excess over any collectible insurance).
After receiving the claims, both USAA and State Farm repeatedly requested that Wenzell execute comprehensive medical-release authorizations so they could obtain his full medical records and ...
It is Fraud to Make the Same Claim Twice
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fraud-make-same-claim-twice-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-c4g8c and at https://zalma.com/blog.
Chutzpah: After Being Paid for a New Roof Insured Makes Second Claim For Same Damages
Post number 5347
No One is Entitled to be Paid for the Same Loss Twice
In Mohammed Ali Khalili v. State Farm Lloyds, No. 14-25-00611-CV, Court of Appeals of Texas (April 30, 2026) Khalili maintained a State Farm Lloyds homeowners insurance policy for decades. In 2008 he filed a roof-damage claim; State Farm paid him to replace the entire roof (shingles and gutters). Khalili never replaced the roof and repeated his claim.
BACKGROUND
In 2021 he filed a second roof claim. State Farm’s inspectors found the roof “very old” with extensive non-storm-related damage. The claim was denied because (1) the damage did not exceed the deductible and (2) State Farm had already paid for a full roof replacement.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
State Farm filed motion for summary...
It is Fraud to Make the Same Claim Twice
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fraud-make-same-claim-twice-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-c4g8c and at https://zalma.com/blog.
Chutzpah: After Being Paid for a New Roof Insured Makes Second Claim For Same Damages
Post number 5347
No One is Entitled to be Paid for the Same Loss Twice
In Mohammed Ali Khalili v. State Farm Lloyds, No. 14-25-00611-CV, Court of Appeals of Texas (April 30, 2026) Khalili maintained a State Farm Lloyds homeowners insurance policy for decades. In 2008 he filed a roof-damage claim; State Farm paid him to replace the entire roof (shingles and gutters). Khalili never replaced the roof and repeated his claim.
BACKGROUND
In 2021 he filed a second roof claim. State Farm’s inspectors found the roof “very old” with extensive non-storm-related damage. The claim was denied because (1) the damage did not exceed the deductible and (2) State Farm had already paid for a full roof replacement.
PROCEDURAL HISTORY
State Farm filed motion for summary...
What Must be Done after Notice of a Claim is Received by the Insurer
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A first party property policy does not insure property: it insures a person, partnership, corporation or other entity against the risk of loss of the property. Before an insured can make a claim for indemnity under a policy of first party property insurance the insured must prove that there was damage to property the risk of loss of which was insured by the policy. The obligation imposed on the insured ...
