State Farm’s Allegations Over Fraud Scheme Are Sufficient, Judge Rules

Mealey's (July 8, 2019, 1:22 PM EDT) -- MIAMI — A federal judge in Florida on June 11 denied motions to dismiss filed by two doctors and two medical clinics accused by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. and State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. (State Farm) of engaging in a scheme to submit fraudulent claims for personal injury benefits, holding that the insurer’s allegations satisfy the heightened pleading requirement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 9(b) and that the company’s amended complaint is not a shotgun pleading (State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, et al. v. Health and Wellness Services Inc., et al., No. 18-21325-Civ-Scola, S.D. Fla., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105269)....