Opinion ID: 1962780
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Creveling v. GEICO

Text: Appellant Ashleigh Creveling was injured in an automobile accident on November 15, 1997. As a result of her injuries, she sought medical treatment. On November 9, 2000, Creveling's attorney submitted a PIP claim [1] for $363.00, an amount reflecting expenses paid by her health maintenance organization (HMO), Kaiser Permanente. Her insurer, appellee GEICO, did not pay the claim. Instead, on December 1, 2000, a GEICO claims examiner responded with a short letter noting: We have received the medical billing presented for your client. Under Maryland Personal Injury Protection (PIP), we will consider expenses that are incurred by the patient. Please provide documentation of payments made by Ms. Creveling for her care with Kaiser. Once we receive this information, we will consider these invoices. Her claim was denied because a collateral sourceher HMO had incurred the costs of treatment. Creveling filed a class action complaint in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City on April 19, 2001, to recover PIP benefits she previously had been denied. The Second Amended Complaint alleged one count breach of contractand prayed for class certification, monetary damages, injunctive and declaratory relief. The complaint alleged that GEICO's refusal to pay her PIP claim in full constituted a breach of the insurance contract. Creveling asserted the claim on behalf of herself and a class of persons for whom GEICO denied or reduced PIP benefits as a consequence of payments allegedly made by any collateral source or as a consequence of limiting such payments to the sum actually paid, or lost, by the covered person. On July 23, 2001, Creveling filed a Motion for Class Certification pursuant to Maryland Rule 2-231(b)(3). While the motion was pending in the trial court, GEICO tendered to Creveling the full amount of her PIP claim plus interest. [2] Creveling rejected the tender and pursued her individual claim and class certification.