Court Opinion

ID: 9532214
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:19:15.993328+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:42.396012
License: Public Domain

Rose, J.,
with whom Springer, J., joins,
dissenting:
Many insurance policies limit benefits to those expenses incurred during a specific period of time, in this case three years. This is generally an appropriate limitation unless a permanent injury or condition is diagnosed during the compensable period. When a permanent injury or condition is covered by an insurance policy and diagnosed within the time period, the approach taken by the Louisiana court in Valladares v. Monarch Ins. Co., 282 So. 2d 569 (La. Ct. App. 1973), seems to be the most realistic. That case recognizes that an expense is incurred if a physician directs a course of treatment during the limitation period even though the treatment cannot be successfully completed during that time. While not the majority rule in the United States, this analysis has been adopted by other courts. Whittle v. Government Employees Ins. Co., 273 N.Y.S.2d 442 (N.Y. App. Term. 1966); Atchley v. Travelers Ins. Co., 489 S.W.2d 836 (Tenn. 1972).
My preference would be to adopt this approach in Nevada when determining whether a compensable injury is incurred within a time period set in an insurance policy. I would affirm the award to Mr. Schlang and recognize his need for prolonged assistance with his sleep apnea condition that was caused by the accident and diagnosed within the limitation period.