Case Name: ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY, Appellant, v. Carlos Alberto DOMATO, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1999-03-10
Citations: 730 So. 2d 343
Docket Number: No. 98-3191
Parties: ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY, Appellant, v. Carlos Alberto DOMATO, Appellee.
Judges: Before NESBITT, COPE, and GODERICH, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 730
Pages: 343–344

Head Matter:
ALLSTATE INDEMNITY COMPANY, Appellant, v. Carlos Alberto DOMATO, Appellee.
No. 98-3191.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
March 10, 1999.
Rehearing Denied April 21, 1999.
Rumberger, Kirk & Caldwell, David B. Shelton and Lori J. Caldwell, Orlando, for appellant.
Robles & Gonzalez, and Ervin A. Gonzalez, and John H. Ruiz, Miami, for appellee.
Before NESBITT, COPE, and GODERICH, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Allstate appeals an order granting class certification in the breach of contract suit filed by its insured, Carlos Domato. Doma-to, the putative class representative, alleged that Allstáte habitually withdraws PIP coverage from its insureds without first obtaining an independent medical examination (IME) showing that the claimed medical costs, being challenged by Allstate, were unreasonable or unnecessary. We find that Domato is an improper class representative, as his claim against Allstate is atypical of the class he purports to represent. See Fla. R. Civ. P. 1.220(a); Baptist Hosp. of Miami, Inc. v. Demario, 683 So.2d 641, 643 (Fla. 3d DCA 1996). Unrefuted evidence showed that Allstate did arrange an IME for Domato, but Domato refused to attend the IME. Therefore, Domato has no commonality of interest with a putative class whose complaint, in part, would be that Allstate refused its benefits without an IME. We reverse. Domato's motion for attorney's fees is denied.