Geico Seeks To Recover $20M in Racketeering Suit
As reported by Law360, Geico is seeking to recover at least $20 million in compensatory damages, in addition to costs, fees and punitive damages from a Florida chiropractor and his network of clinics.
On Thursday, May 30th, the insurer filed suit in Florida federal court against Mark A. Cereceda claiming civil racketeering violations and unjust enrichment as well as common law fraud and other claims.
According to the complaint, Geico says Mark A. Cereceda and his various Ceda Orthopedics clinics in Miami billed for services that were unnecessary, never provided and performed by people who were not properly licensed. Geico paid for physical therapy services performed by unsupervised massage therapists who are unqualified to perform physical therapy and who, under Florida law, cannot be reimbursed under PIP insurance. The insurer is also requesting a declaration from the court that it is not legally obligated to pay reimbursement of more than $75,000 in pending fraudulent PIP claims submitted by Cereceda’s clinics.
Cereceda has been sued by insurers at least three times over fraudulent medical billing and coding, delivering medically unnecessary chiropractic care and engaging in an unlawful referral scheme.
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