Insurance — false statement in application for car insurance

The plaintiff appealed from an order for summary judgment dismissing his claims for coverage by the defendant, Selective Insurance Company, for injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident. The issue was whether Selective was required to provide personal injury protection (PIP) benefits to the plaintiff despite inaccurate information contained on his application for automobile insurance regarding the number of residents in his household. The Appellate Division rejected the plaintiff's argument that he did not know information in the application was inaccurate and that, because he lacked experience with obtaining insurance and did not speak English, he should not be held responsible for the false statement in the application. The Appellate Division affirmed the grant of summary judgment to Selective.

Case Law Alert - 1st Qtr 2011