Opinion ID: 1842058
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: padilla

Text: Petitioner Lazaro Padilla was insured under a private passenger automobile insurance policy issued by respondent Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (Liberty Mutual). Petitioners Eloy and Irma Rivero were likewise insured under a private passenger automobile insurance policy issued by respondent Urban Insurance Company of Pennsylvania (Urban). After sustaining injuries in motor vehicle accidents, Padilla and the Riveros made claims for reimbursement of medical transportation costs under their respective insurance policies. According to their usual and customary practices, both Liberty Mutual and Urban paid their insureds a standard, predetermined amount of 32.5 cents per mile as reimbursement for the medical travel expenses. Padilla and the Riveros filed separate class action complaints in the Circuit Court for Dade County against their respective insurers and asserted the same claims as Malu. In response to the complaints, both Liberty Mutual and Urban filed extensive motions to dismiss, arguing that the amounts they paid to their insureds in connection with transportation to obtain medical treatment were reasonable as a matter of law. They also argued that the complaints should be dismissed because the appropriate forum to decide the issue was not the trial court but, rather, the Department of Insurance (DOI), which the insurers claimed had primary jurisdiction over determinations of reasonable rates. The Padilla trial court dismissed Padilla's complaint without prejudice based on the primary jurisdiction doctrine. [1] The Rivero trial court dismissed the Riveros' complaint with prejudice based on the primary jurisdiction doctrine and upon a finding that the 32.5 cents per mile paid by Urban to its insureds was reasonable as a matter of law. The appeals of Padilla and the Riveros were consolidated in the Third District Court of Appeal. The insureds challenged (1) the trial courts' application of the primary jurisdiction doctrine, and (2) the Rivero trial court's conclusion that the amount paid by Liberty Mutual and Urban to their insureds for medical transportation costs was reasonable as a matter of law, a finding that the insureds asserted could only be made by the trier of fact. The Third District held that all issues raised by the parties throughout the proceedings were moot because the Third District was in agreement with the Fourth District's analysis in Malu. Padilla, 870 So.2d at 829. The Third District concluded that if the Florida Legislature deems it appropriate to provide for medical travel benefits under the PIP statute, it can do so specifically. Id. On that basis, the Third District held that the PIP statute does not include reimbursement for the transportation expenses sought by the insureds and certified conflict with Hunter. Id. [2]