In re the Arbitration between Amica Mutual Ins.
Opinion of the Court
— Order, Supreme Court, New York County, entered February 28, 1978, staying arbitration under an uninsured motorist provision pending a preliminary trial, and granting other relief, is unanimously reversed, on the law, with costs; petitioner Arnica’s application for a stay of the arbitration proceeding commenced by respondent Reaves, is denied; the provisions directing the joinder of Selected Risks Insurance Co. as an additional respondent, and directing Selected Risks to reimburse petitioner for any first-party no-fault benefits paid by petitioner to respondent Reaves, are vacated. 1. With respect to the direction for reimbursement by Selected Risks to petitioner Arnica for any first-party no-fault benefits paid by Arnica to respondent Reaves, subdivision 1 of section 674 of the Insurance Law governs the right of an insurer liable for first-party benefits to recover the amount of such benefits from the insurer of any other covered person. Subdivision 2 of section 674 provides that: "2. The sole remedy of any insurer to recover on a claim arising under subdivision one of this section, shall be the submission of the controversy to mandatory arbitration pursuant to procedures to be promulgated or approved by the superintendent.” Accordingly, the court had no jurisdiction to direct such reimbursement. We note that apparently Arnica Mutual did not even ask for this reimbursement in this proceeding. 2. With respect to Reaves’ arbitration claim against Arnica, her insurer, it appears that respondent Reaves was in her car when she was struck by another car driven by Elizabeth Hicks. The Hicks car had been stolen from its owners. In these circumstances, there was no need for a preliminary trial to determine whether the offending vehicle driven by Hicks was uninsured. So far as Reaves’ right to recover against her own insurer under the uninsured motorist provision is concerned, it is immaterial whether the Hicks car was technically insured or
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.