FAILURE TO INFORM INSURER OF A SETTLEMENT WITH THE INSURED PARTY IN THIS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASE JUSTIFIED GRANTING THE INSURER’S PETITION TO PERMANENTLY STAY ARBITRATION ON AN UNINSURED MOTORIST BENEFITS CLAIM (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined the insurer’s (State Farm’s) petition to permanently stay arbitration of an uninsured motorist benefits claim should have been granted. The insureds (McLaurin and Corbin) were involved in an accident with two other cars, one of which was uninsured. The insureds settled with the other insured party (Martinez) without informing State Farm:
“Where an automobile insurance policy expressly requires the insurer’s prior consent to any settlement by the insured with a tortfeasor, failure of the insured to obtain such prior consent from the insurer constitutes a breach of a condition of the insurance contract and disqualifies the insured from availing himself [or herself] of the pertinent benefits of the policy” … . It is undisputed that McLaurin and Corbin entered into the settlement of the Martinez action without State Farm’s consent. “Once the existence of a release in settlement of the relevant tort claim is established, the burden is on the insured to establish, by virtue of an express limitation in the release, or of a necessary implication arising from the circumstances of its execution, that the release did not operate to prejudice the subrogation rights of the insurer” … . Here, McLaurin and Corbin failed to establish that the release issued in the Martinez action did not operate to prejudice the subrogation rights of State Farm … . Matter of State Farm Fire & Cas. Co. v McLaurin, 2019 NY Slip Op 03057, Second Dept 4-24-19