Acupuncture Approach, P.C. v New York Cent. Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 2017 NY Slip Op 50340(U)(App. Term 1st Dept. 2017)
“We find no abuse of discretion in the grant of defendant’s motion to compel plaintiff to produce witnesses for deposition. Defendant preserved its excessive treatment and fee schedule defenses in the NF-10 denial of claim forms and demonstrated that the discovery sought was material and necessary to the defense of the action (see Megacure Acupuncture, P.C. v Lancer Ins. Co., 41 Misc 3d 139[A], 2013 NY Slip Op 51994[U] [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud. Dists 2013]; Arco Med. NY, P.C. v Lancer Ins. Co., 37 Misc 3d 136[A], 2012 NY Slip Op 52178[U] [App Term, 2d, 11th & 13th Jud. Dists 2012]). Unlike the situation in Ralph Med. Diagnostics, PC v Mercury Cas. Co. (43 Misc 3d 65 [2014]), the discovery sought herein is neither unreasonable nor duplicative of information already provided.”
**It appears the court backed off from Ralph Medical (which makes sense because once you place a case in court, you are stuck with all of CPLR 3101). The analogue to ralph (Arnica v. Interboro), the deposition demand was struck despite the provider not providing any discovery. Clearly, someone woke up here.
