In re the Arbitration between Hicks & Royal Globe Insurance
This case concerns claimants injured in a 1974 automobile accident during employment, seeking no-fault medical benefits. An arbitrator initially denied these benefits, citing the exclusivity of Workers' Compensation Law § 11. However, the Court of Appeals' decision in Ryder Truck Lines v Maiorano (1978) established that employees are entitled to no-fault benefits determinable by arbitration. Reviewing the arbitrator's decision, the court found it was based on a mistake of law. Applying a broader standard for judicial review in compulsory arbitration, the court vacated the part of the arbitrator's award denying medical benefits and remanded the issue for a rehearing to determine the benefits under the no-fault law. The respondent's cross-motion to confirm the arbitrator's decision was consequently denied.