RULING ON MOTION TO DISMISS
The Third Amended Complaint (Doc. No. 62) (“Complaint”), which is the opera
Plaintiff Sylvester Traylor (“Traylor”) asserts claims for Denial of Accommoda-tion in violation of Conn. Gen.Stat. § 46a-64(a)(1), (2) (Count One); Discriminatory Practice (Count Two); Retaliation Practice (Count Three); Negligent Misrepresentation (Count Four); Negligent Action (Count Five); Reckless Infliction of Emotional Distress (Count Six); violation of Due Process pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Count Seven); violation of Equal Protection pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Count Eight); unconstitutional application of Conn. Gen.Stat. § 51-88(d) (Count Nine); unconstitutional application of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-190a (Count Ten); Spoliation and Destruction of Evidence (Count Eleven); violation of the Civil RICO Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1963 (the “RICO Act”) (Count Twelve); Fraud by Concealment (Count Thirteen); Breach of Oath in violation of Conn. Gen.Stat. § 1-25, the Connecticut Constitution, and the Connecticut Judicial Code of Conduct (Count Fourteen); and violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, Conn. Gen.Stat. §§ 42-110a et seq. (“CUTPA”) (Count Fifteen). CMIC moves to dismiss the claims asserted against it, i.e. Counts One, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen and Fifteen.
I. Factual Allegations
The plaintiff contends that his rights have been violated in connection with the death of his wife, the late Mrs. Roberta Mae Traylor, and the underlying lawsuits he had filed against her treating physicians, among others. Traylor alleges that prior to his wife’s death on March 1, 2004, she was a patient of Dr. Bassam Awwa (“Awwa”) and his practice group, Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates (“CBHA”).
Traylor has filed a number of lawsuits against various defendants arising out of his wife’s death. Among these lawsuits was a medical malpractice action against Awwa and CBHA commenced in 2006. Awwa and CBHA were represented in that action by Attorney Donald Leone (“Leone”) of Chinigo, Leone & Maruzo. That action is referred to in numerous paragraphs of the Complaint.
With regard to CMIC, the Complaint alleges that CMIC was duly authorized under Connecticut law to insure licensed doctors for medical malpractice and that it insured Awwa and CBHA. The Complaint asserts, inter alia, that CMIC had a duty and obligation to disclose to Traylor information regarding destruction of his late wife’s medical records and conspired with others to defraud Traylor and deny him his civil rights.
II. Legal Standard
When deciding a motion to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6), the court must accept as true all factual allegations in the complaint and must draw inferences in a light most favorable to the plaintiff. Scheuer v. Rhodes,
In its review of a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the court may consider “only the facts alleged in the pleadings, documents attached as exhibits or incorporated by reference in the pleadings and matters of which judicial notice may be taken.” Samuels v. Air Transport Local 501,
When considering the sufficiency of the allegations in a pro se complaint, the court applies “less stringent standards than [those applied to] formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Haines v. Kerner,
III. Discussion
A. Count One: Denial of Accommodation in Violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-64(a)(l) and (2)
CMIC argues that Count One should be dismissed because Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-64 does not provide a private cause of action and, further, because CMIC is not a place of public accommodation and therefore not subject to § 46a-64(a). Section 46a-64(a)(l) and(2) provide that:
(a) It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: (1) To deny any person within the jurisdiction of this state full and equal accommodations in any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, intellectual disability, mental disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness of the applicant, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons; (2) to discriminate, segregate or separate on account of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, intellectual disability,mental disability, learning disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness;....
Conn. Gen.Stat. § 46a-64. In addition, § 46a-64(c) provides that “[a]ny person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars or more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.” Conn. GemStat. § 46a-64(c).
Although no Connecticut appellate court has ruled on whether § 46a-64(a) creates a private cause of action, decisions by the Connecticut Superior Courts have uniformly concluded that there is no private cause of action available under § 46a-64(a). See Smith v. New Horizon Computer, No. CV084026134S,
B. Count Four: Negligent Misrepresentation
Count Four asserts that all the defendants in.this action, including-CMIC, intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly disregarded discovery orders and federal and state law. To state a claim of negligent misrepresentation, the plaintiff must allege “(1) that the defendant made a misrepresentation of fact (2) that the defendant knew or should have known was false, and (3) that the plaintiff reasonably relied on the misrepresentation, and (4) suffered pecuniary harm as a result.” Centimark Corp. v. Village Manor Assoc. Ltd. P’ship,
C. Count Five: Negligence
Count Five asserts that all the defendants in this action, including CMIC, negligently failed to follow procedures to protect Traylor’s rights, failed to enforce discovery orders, and created a false sense of justice for Traylor. The Complaint alleges that CMIC “had the duty and obligation to disclose to the Plaintiff that they were aware of the fact that the Defendants, Bassam Awwa, M.D., and Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates P.C.[,] had destroyed the Plaintiffs wife’s medical records.” (Compl. ¶ 112.)
“The essential elements of a cause of action in negligence are well established: duty; breach of that duty; causation; and actual injury....” Murdock v. Croughwell,
D. Count Six: Reckless Infliction of Emotional Distress
In Count Six, Traylor asserts a claim for “reckless” infliction of emotional distress. Although “Connecticut courts have not conclusively determined whether a separate cause of action exists under Connecticut law for reckless infliction of emotional distress,” the case law suggests that there is no such cause of action. Zalaski v. City of Hartford,
In addition to arguing that Count Six should be dismissed because there is no cause of action under Connecticut law for reckless infliction of emotional distress, CMIC argues that Count Six should be dismissed even if construed as a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress. The four elements of a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress under Connecticut law are: “(1) that the actor intended to inflict emotional distress or that he knew or should have known that emotional distress was the likely result of his conduct; (2) that the conduct was extreme and outrageous; (3) that the defen
Even if Count Six is construed as a claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress, it still fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.. To establish a claim of negligent infliction of emotional distress, the plaintiff must allege “that the defendant should have realized that its conduct involved an unreasonable risk of causing emotional distress and that that distress, if it were caused, might result in illness or bodily harm.” Id. at 446,
Accordingly, Count Six is being dismissed as to CMIC.
E. Counts Seven and Eight: 42 U.S.C. § 1983
Counts Seven and Eight assert that Traylor’s Due Process and Equal Protection rights were violated. CMIC argues that Counts Seven and Eight must be dismissed because the Complaint fails to allege that CMIC was acting under color of state law. Section 1983 provides, in relevant part, that:
Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress....
42 U.S.C. § 1983. “In order to state a claim under § 1983, a plaintiff must allege that he was injured by either a state actor or a private party acting under color of state law.” Ciambriello v. County of Nassau,
F. Count Eleven: Spoliation and Destruction of Evidence
Count Eleven asserts that all the defendants in this action, including CMIC, intentionally spoliated evidence and that Traylor was prejudiced by the spoliation. “[T]he tort of intentional spoliation of evidence consists of the following essential elements: (1) the defendant’s knowledge of a pending or impending civil action involving the plaintiff; (2) the defendant’s destruction of evidence; (3) in bad faith, that is, with intent to deprive the plaintiff of his cause of action; (4) the plaintiffs inability to establish a prima facie case without the spoliated evidence; and (5) damages.” Rizzuto v. Davidson Ladders, Inc.,
Thus, the plaintiff has stated a claim for intentional spoliation of evidence upon which relief may be granted. Therefore, CMIC’s motion to dismiss Count Eleven is being denied.
G. Count Twelve: Violation of the Federal RICO Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1961 et seq.
Count Twelve asserts a claim that CMIC, along with other defendants, violated the RICO Act. To state a civil claim under the RICO Act, the plaintiff must allege: “(1) a violation of the RICO statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1962; (2) an injury to business or property; and (3) that the injury was caused by the violation of Section 1962.” Spool v. World Child Int’l Adoption Agency,
H. Count Thirteen: Fraud by Concealment
Count Thirteen asserts that CMIC conspired with Awwa and Leone to willfully and maliciously conceal Traylor’s late’s medical records. Count Thirteen purports to make a claim for fraud by concealment. However, under Connecticut law, there is no cause of action for fraud by concealment. CMIC construes Count Thirteen as both a claim for fraudulent concealment of a cause of action in
Section 52-595 provides:
If any person, liable to an action by another, fraudulently conceals from him the existence of the cause of such action, such cause of action shall be deemed to accrue against such person so liable therefor at the time when the person entitled to sue thereon first discovers its existence.
Conn. GemStat. § 52-595. “The only remedy under General Statutes § 52-595 is a tolling of the relevant statute of limitations until the ‘time when the person entitled to sue thereon first discovers its existence.’ ” Campbell v. Town of Plymouth,
Even if Count Thirteen is construed as a claim for fraud, that claim fails. Typically, “[t]he elements of a fraud action are: (1) a false representation was made as a statement of fact; (2) the statement was untrue and known to be so by its maker; (3) the statement was made with the intent of inducing reliance thereon; and (4) the other party relied on the statement to his detriment.” Weinstein v. Weinstein,
Because there is no private cause of action available under § 52-595 and the Complaint does not sufficiently allege a claim of fraud, Count Thirteen does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted as to any defendant. Therefore, Count Thirteen is being dismissed with respect to CMIC.
I. Count Fifteen: Violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (“CUTPA”)
Count Fifteen is a CUTPA claim. CUTPA prohibits “unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.” Conn. GemStat. § 42-110b. The Complaint contains the following factual allegations regarding CMIC that are relevant to the CUTPA claim:
• “At all relevant times mentioned herein, the Defendant, CONNECTICUT MEDICAL INSURANCE COMPANY, was duly an authorized company under the laws of the State of Connecticut to insure licensed doctors for medical malpractice.” (Compl. ¶ 111.)
• “On December 27, 2005, the Defendants, Bassam Awwa M.D. and Connecticut Behavioral Health Associates P.C. renewed its insurance claims with the Defendant, Connecticut Medical Insurance Company which is retroactive dated March 1, 1992.” (Compl. ¶ 115.)
• “... Connecticut Medical Insurance Company requested ATTORNEY DONALD LEONE of CHINIGO LEONE & MARUZO LLP to represent the above Defendants Dr. Awwa and ‘CBHA’ because of their spoliation past practice.” (Compl. ¶ 307.)
• “... Connecticut Medical Insurance Company are seeking out law firms who will defend cases where their client [the Insurer] has to destroy evidence ...” (Compl. ¶ 308.)
The Connecticut Unfair Insurance Practices Act (“CUIPA”), Conn. GemStat. § 38a-815 et seq., prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in the business of insurance. CUIPA does not provide a private cause of action.
Courts have repeatedly held that no private right of action exists under CUIPA. In Lander v. Hartford Life & Annuity Insurance Co.,251 F.3d 101 (2d Cir. 2001) the court held that ‘[m]ost federal and Connecticut state courts have determined that the Connecticut Unfair Insurance Practices Act ... does not provide a private cause of action.’ Id. at 118-19. Furthermore, “[t]he Connecticut Supreme Court characterized CUI-PA as a penal statute requiring a construction ‘limiting rather than expanding civil liability’-further supporting the proposition that no private cause of action is available under the statute.” Glynn v. Bankers Life and Casualty Co.,297 F.Supp.2d 424 , 431 (D.Conn. 2003).
DeRossi v. Nat’l Loss Mgmt.,
Although CUIPA does not provide a private cause of action, a plaintiff may bring a CUTPA claim for an alleged violation of CUIPA. See Exantus v. Metropolitan Property & Cas. Ins. Co.,
Where the defendant is an insurer who has been accused of violating CUTPA through an unfair claim settlement practice, as defined in Conn. Gen.Stat. § 38a-816(6), the plaintiff must allege that the “defendant has committed the alleged wrongful acts with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice.” Quimby v. Kimberly Clark Corp.,
Applying the less stringent standards applied to a pro se complaint and interpreting the plaintiffs complaint to raise the strongest arguments it suggests, the court construes the Complaint as alleging that CMIC has a practice of seeking out law firms who will defend cases where an insurer plans to destroy evidence, and that CMIC hired Leone’s firm because his firm had destroyed evidence in prior cases. Such factual allegations describe at least three unfair claim settlement practices defined in § 38a-816(6): “[misrepresenting pertinent facts or insurance policy provisions relating to coverages at issue,” § 38a-816(6)(A); “refusing to pay claims without conducting a reasonable investigation based upon all available information,” § 38a-816(6)(D); and “not attempting in good faith to effectuate prompt, fair and equitable settlements of claims in which liability has become reasonably clear,” § 38a-816(6)(F).
CMIC contends that “[t]he plaintiffs allegation that CMIC hires attorneys that destroy evidence is nothing but pure fanta
Therefore, the plaintiff has stated a claim upon which relief may be granted, and the motion to dismiss is being denied as to Count Fifteen with respect to CMIC.
IV. Conclusion
The Motion to Dismiss (Doe. No. 68) is hereby GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Counts One, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Twelve, and Thirteen are dismissed as to Connecticut Medical Insurance Company, but the motion is denied as to Counts Eleven and Fifteen.
It is so ordered.
Notes
. In deference to the plaintiffs pro se status, the court has reviewed Counts Two, Three, Nine, Ten, and Fourteen and determined that the plaintiff does not plead in any of them facts regarding the actions or conduct of CMIC.
. Conn. Gen.Stat. § 46a-64(c) was recently amended. Effective October 1, 2012, § 46a-64(c) is to provide that "[a]ny person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.” 2012 Conn. Legis. Serv. P.A. 12-80 (H.B.5145) (West).
. The issue of whether § 46a-64 creates a private cause of action was also considered in Collins v. Univ. of Bridgeport,
.In any event, Count One should be dismissed as to CMIC because the Complaint does not allege any facts that could show that CMIC is a "place of public accommodation” under § 46a-64(a). "Place of public accommodation” is defined to mean "any establishment which caters or offers its services or facilities or goods to the general public....” Conn. Gen.Stat. § 46a-63. As alleged in the Complaint, CMIC is "duly an authorized company under the laws of the State of Connecticut to insure licensed doctors for medical malpractice.” (Compl. ¶ 111.) Thus, CMIC does not cater to the general public and so is not subject to § 46a-64.
