Practice Areas

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Insurance Fraud

Since our formation in 1991, ICRH has been one of the leading litigation firms in New York State, with more than 150 years of combined courtroom experience.

ICRH litigators have successfully represented insurance companies and other large business entities in state and federal courts, before arbitration panels, and in defending administrative proceedings initiated by regulatory agencies.

Insurance fraud is everyone's problem. We're part of the solution.

Insurance fraud costs Americans an estimated $150 billion annually, an average of nearly $1,000 per family in higher insurance premiums and higher prices for consumer goods.

A significant part of our litigation practice involves representing insurance carriers, managed care entities and self‑insureds in the investigation and defense of fraudulent claims and medical-necessity determinations in varied areas, including:

  • Automobile no-fault
  • Bodily injury
  • Uninsured and under-insured
  • Homeowners' and commercial property claims, including arson, theft and jewelers' block claims

We offer services including examinations under oath and coverage opinions, defense of lawsuits and arbitrations including trials and appeals, and developing fraud prevention and detection programs.

Our extensive experience in the area of health care law complements our insurance fraud practice, particularly in medical provider investigations.

A policy of prudence.

We take an assertive yet prudent, "big picture" approach to insurance fraud engagements. We are aggressive in pursuing investigations and the defense of fraudulent claims. Our attorneys are selective when undertaking affirmative litigation on behalf of insurance carriers seeking recovery of funds paid on fraudulent claims, and are mindful of the importance of "making good case law."

We emphasize frequent communication and directive advice, providing timely reports including reminders concerning applicable regulatory deadlines. At the conclusion of our investigations and during the defense or prosecution of a claim, we offer specific advice so our client knows exactly what we recommend.

Besides our insurance fraud practice, we offer legal defense to a select clientele of specialty insurers and self-insured businesses in a broad array of insurance-related cases. The following are examples of these engagements:

  • We serve as defense counsel to a national self‑insured risk trust that represents numerous religious institutions.
  • We serve as counsel in an array of defense matters referred by nationally known independent adjusting firms and third‑party administrators.
  • We served as counsel to a national home improvement chain in a variety of defense engagements ranging from slip‑and‑fall cases to product liability cases. In one case, our investigation of the plaintiff's medical history revealed that he had concealed a prior back injury. Our pre‑trial motion for dismissal and sanctions was granted, and the plaintiff was required to pay all attorneys' fees incurred by our client.
  • As regional defense counsel to a self‑insured manufacturer, we have defended a variety of personal injury claims brought by contractors' employees under New York's strict liability labor laws. In nearly all cases, the claims against our client were resolved by the filing of a third‑party action against the contractor‑employer in which we obtained common law contribution and indemnification on behalf of our client.
  • We also represent insurance carriers as plaintiffs in subrogation claims. These cases arise in a variety of settings, including casualty and health insurance claims where the payment of covered losses was caused by the negligence of third parties.

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