23 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 315c

Online Reference: FLWSUPP 2304SHUTInsurance — Personal injury protection — Exhaustion of benefits — Absent showing of bad faith, PIP insurer not liable for benefits once exhausted — There is no requirement to set aside reserve fund for disputed claims

DPI OF NORTH BROWARD, LLC, (a/a/o John Shutowick), Appellant, v. USAA CASUALTY INSURANCECOMPANY, Appellee. Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit (Appellate) in and for Broward County. Case No. 11-004746CACE. L.T. Case No. 10-005075COCE. USAA CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, Appellant, v. DPI OF NORTH BROWARD, LLC, (a/a/o John Shutowick), Appellee. Case No. 11-018429CACE. August 19, 2015. Appeal from the County Court of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, Robert W. Lee, Judge. Counsel: Douglas H. Stein, Seipp & Flick, Miami, for DPI of North Broward, LLC (a/a/o John Shutowick). Charles Kane, Kane & Kane, P.A., Boca Raton, and John Beranek, Ausley & McMullen, Tallahassee, for USAA Casualty Insurance Company.

OPINION

(PER CURIAM.) Having carefully considered the briefs, the Record, and the applicable law, this Court dispenses with oral argument, the final judgment in favor of the defendant is hereby AFFIRMED as set forth below.

Under Florida law there is no requirement for a party to set aside a reserve fund for disputed claims, and, in the absence of a showing of bad faith, a PIP insurer is not liable for benefits once exhausted. See USAA Cas. Ins. Co. v. Oakland Park MRI, Inc., (a/a/o Antonia Gale), 19 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 22b (Fla. 17th Cir. Ct. Aug 31, 2011), and Simon v. Progressive Exp. Ins. Co., 904 So. 2d 449, 450 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005) [30 Fla. L. Weekly D1156b]).

The trial court’s order denying Defendant’s motion for entitlement to attorney’s fees and costs is AFFIRMED.

Appellant’s motion for attorney’s fees is hereby DENIED. Appellee’s motion for attorney’s fees is hereby DENIED. (ENGLANDER-HENNING, TUTER and MURPHY, JJ., concur.)