Key Takeaway
NY Court of Appeals ruling on material misrepresentation standards for no-fault insurance policy procurement fraud defense in Renelique v National Liability case.
Renelique v National Liab. & Fire Ins. Co., 2016 NY Slip Op 50254(U)(App. Term 2d Dept. 2016)
“With respect to defendant’s cross motion, “he proponent of a summary judgment motion must make a prima facie showing of entitlement to judgment as a matter of law, tendering sufficient evidence to eliminate any material issues of fact from the case” (Winegrad v New York Univ. Med. Ctr., 64 NY2d 851, 853 ). No-fault benefits may be denied to an insured where an insurer submits evidence in admissible form showing that the insured had fraudulently procured the insurance policy (see W.H.O. Acupuncture, P.C. v Infinity Prop. & Cas. Co., 36 Misc 3d 4 ; New Millennium Psychological Servs., P.C. v Commerce Ins. Co., 34 Misc 3d 127, 2011 NY Slip Op 52286 ). Upon the record before us, we find that defendant failed to establish as a matter of law that plaintiff’s assignor had made material misrepresentations in order to obtain insurance at reduced premiums”
The question is what is necessary regarding the type of “material misrepresentations” that are necessary to demonstrate a fraudulent procurement defense. I also do not see any notion that the underwriting handbook has to be presented here, making this different than a 3105 misrepresentation.
