Friedman v. Allstate Ins. Co.
This case involves an appeal from a Civil Court judgment that awarded the plaintiff, Paul Friedman, L.Ac., LMT, the principal sum of $2,160 for assigned first-party no-fault benefits for acupuncture services. The defendant, Allstate Insurance Company, denied the claims based on an independent medical examination (IME) by Dr. Chiu, which concluded that the assignor's injuries had resolved. However, the plaintiff's expert, Dr. Friedman, testified that further treatment was necessary. The Civil Court found the services medically necessary, and the appellate court affirmed this judgment, concluding that the plaintiff met its burden of demonstrating medical necessity.