Massachusetts Appellate Division overturns summary judgment to PIP insurer for failure to show decision-making process

In N.E. Physical Therapy Plus, Inc. v. Commerce Ins. Co., 2009 WL 3381750 (Mass. App. Div.), physical therapist NEPT sued Commerce pursuant to Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90 § 34M (the PIP statute) and ch. 93A § 11 (the consumer protection statute) for failing to pay physical therapy bills on behalf of Commerce's insured, who was entitled to PIP benefits.

After suit was filed Commerce paid the disputed bill, which extinguished the ch. 90 § 34 M claim. Commerce then moved for summary judgement on the 93A claim. In support of its motion Commerce submitted only an affidavit of a Commerce employee.

The court denied Commerce's motion for summary judgment, holding:

The Affidavit is composed almost entirely of the affiant's facile and conclusory characterizations of Commerce's claims records. Even if the Affidavit were admissible in its entirety, a question we do not reach here, Commerce's summary judgment materials provide no insight into Commerce's strategy for handling NEPT's claims; into the particulars of Commerce's decision-making process with respect to those claims; into the results of any expert review of the claims; or, in fact, into any of the subjective questions on which G.L. c. 93A claims generally rise and fall.