Liberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Excel Imaging, P.C.

CourtU.S. District Court — Eastern District of New York
Writing for the CourtJACK B. WEINSTEIN
CitationLiberty Mut. Ins. Co. v. Excel Imaging, P.C., 879 F. Supp. 2d 243 (E.D. N.Y. 2012)
Decision Date21 June 2012
Docket NumberNo. 11–CV–5780.,11–CV–5780.
PartiesLIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Liberty Insurance Corporations, The First Liberty Insurance Corporation, Liberty Mutual Mid–Atlantic Insurance Company, Liberty County Mutual Insurance Company, and LM Property and Casualty Insurance Company, Plaintiffs, v. EXCEL IMAGING, P.C., and Mark D. Freilich, M.D., Faisal Abdus Sami, M.D., Tariq R. Khan, M.D., Pervez Iqbal Qureshi, M.D. a/k/a Pervaiz Qureshi, M.D., and Naiyer Imam, M.D. (the “Nominal Owner Defendants”) and Azfal M. Amanat, Mohammed Shafkat Ilahi, Claimnet L.L.C., and Amaar Holding Inc., (the “Management Defendants”), Defendants.

OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE

Barry I. Levy, Glenn H. Egor, Michael A. Sirignano, Frank Peter Tiscione, Jr., Rivkin Radler LLP, Uniondale, NY, for Plaintiffs.

Robert Adam Freilich, Rottenberg Lipman Rich P.C., New York, NY, for Defendant Mark D. Freilich, M.D.

Matthew J. Conroy, Maria Campese Diglio, Blodnick, Conroy, Fazio & Diglio, P.C., Garden City, NY, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

JACK B. WEINSTEIN, Senior District Judge:

+------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦I. ¦Introduction                                      ¦254  ¦
                +---+--------------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦   ¦                                                  ¦     ¦
                +---+--------------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦II.¦Facts                                             ¦254  ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.¦Parties                         ¦254¦
                +--+--+--------------------------------+---¦
                ¦  ¦B.¦New York State No–Fault Law     ¦255¦
                +--+--+--------------------------------+---¦
                ¦  ¦C.¦Fraudulent Scheme               ¦257¦
                +--+--+--------------------------------+---¦
                ¦  ¦D.¦Prior Litigation                ¦260¦
                +--+--+--------------------------------+---¦
                ¦  ¦E.¦Investigation of Excel          ¦260¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦                                                               ¦       ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦III.¦Procedural History                                             ¦260    ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦    ¦                                                               ¦       ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦IV. ¦Jurisdiction                                                   ¦261    ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦    ¦                                                               ¦       ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦V.  ¦Legal Standards                                                ¦261    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.¦Motion to Dismiss               ¦261¦
                +--+--+--------------------------------+---¦
                ¦  ¦B.¦Summary Judgment                ¦262¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦                                                  ¦     ¦
                +---+--------------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦VI.¦Motion to Compel Arbitration                      ¦262  ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦A. ¦Right to Arbitrate No–Fault Claims                ¦262   ¦
                +---+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦B. ¦Waiver of Right to Arbitration                    ¦263   ¦
                +---+---+--------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦   ¦C. ¦Arbitration Stayed Pending Resolution of this Case¦264   ¦
                +-----------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦                                                               ¦       ¦
                +----+---------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦VII.¦Statute of Limitations                                         ¦264    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.¦RICO Claims                     ¦264¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+-----------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦1.¦Generally                            ¦264 ¦
                +---+---+--+-------------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦2.¦Separate Accrual                     ¦264 ¦
                +-----------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦B.¦State Law Claims                ¦   ¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1. ¦Statute of Limitations for Duties Imposed by Statute¦265   ¦
                +----+----+---+----------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2. ¦Claims Subject to Three–Year Statute of Limitations ¦268   ¦
                +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦C.  ¦Equitable Estoppel                                         ¦269   ¦
                +----+----+-----------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦D.  ¦Issues of Fact as to When Plaintiffs Could Have Discovered ¦269   ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦the Fraud                                                  ¦      ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦     ¦                                                              ¦       ¦
                +-----+--------------------------------------------------------------+-------¦
                ¦VIII.¦Failure to State a Claim                                      ¦271    ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦A.¦State Law Causes of Action      ¦272¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦    ¦    ¦1. ¦Ability to Recover Fees Paid to Fraudulently           ¦272   ¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦   ¦Incorporated Medical Services Corporations             ¦      ¦
                +----+----+---+-------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦2. ¦Common Law Fraud Pled with Sufficient Particularity    ¦273   ¦
                +----+----+---+-------------------------------------------------------+------¦
                ¦    ¦    ¦3. ¦Unjust Enrichment                                      ¦273   ¦
                +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦B.¦RICO                            ¦273¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+-----------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦   ¦1.¦General Principles                   ¦273 ¦
                +---+---+--+-------------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦2.¦Enterprise                           ¦274 ¦
                +---+---+--+-------------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦3.¦Conduct                              ¦275 ¦
                +---+---+--+-------------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦4.¦Racketeering Activity Requirement    ¦275 ¦
                +---+---+--+-------------------------------------+----¦
                ¦   ¦   ¦5.¦Pattern Requirement                  ¦276 ¦
                +-----------------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------+
                ¦  ¦C.¦RICO Conspiracy                 ¦276¦
                +------------------------------------------+
                
+------------------------------------------------------------+
                ¦   ¦                                                  ¦     ¦
                +---+--------------------------------------------------+-----¦
                ¦IX.¦Conclusion                                        ¦277  ¦
                +------------------------------------------------------------+
                

I. Introduction

New York's no-fault insurance laws permit lawfully incorporated medical services corporations, as assignees of no-fault benefits, to collect payment from insurance companies for services provided to injured motorists. See Part 11(B), infra. As a prerequisite to reimbursement, these corporations must comply with state and local licensing requirements, such as being owned and operated by physicians who practice through the corporation. SeeN.Y. Comp. Code R. & Regs. tit. 11, § 65–3.16(a)(12).

Plaintiff insurance companies (“Liberty Mutual”) seek to recover payments already made to one such medical services corporation, Excel Imaging, P.C. (Excel), and for a declaratory judgment that Excel is not entitled to reimbursement for claims not yet paid. They do not allege that the defendants failed to provide radiology services to their insureds, or that these services were not medically necessary. Rather, they claim that Excel is not owned and operated by physicians—namely, defendants Mark Freilich, M.D., Faisal Abdus Sami, M.D., Tariq R. Kahn, M.D., Perez Iqbal Qureshi, M.D., and Naiyer Imam, M.D. (Nominal Owner Defendants)—as required by New York law, but by non-physicians Afzal M. Amanat and Mohammed Shakat Ilahi and their corporations, Claimnet L.L.C. and Amaar Holding, Inc. (Management Defendants). Plaintiffs assert that they were billed over $1.2 million in charges for radiology services that the defendants were not entitled to recover because their incorporation and operation violated New York statutes and regulations. They claim: 1) fraud and unjust enrichment under state law against all defendants; and 2) civil Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations...

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