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  • Legal Appeal Analysis: Bonner v. Triple-S Management Corporation

Legal Appeal Analysis: Bonner v. Triple-S Management Corporation

March 1, 2024

In Bonner v. Triple-S Management Corporation, Appellant Dora L. Bonner sought a situation where the district court granted a summary judgment in the wishes of Triple-S Management Corporation (“TSM”) and Triple-S Vida, Inc. ("TSV"). The underlying motion concerned Bonner's claim that Triple-S withheld her financing certificate proceeds and engaged in a fraudulent scheme. This blog examines probate, procedural records, and appellate court case analysis.

I. Background:

A. Facts:

Triple-S Management Corporation (TSM) is an unbiased licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, operating coverage in Puerto Rico that includes Triple-S Vida, Inc. (TSV), which provides life insurance. In 2015, Bonner was contacted by a person claiming to be a TSV employee, alleging that he had attempted to change the beneficiary designation on $8 million in financing certificates held by TSV in Bonner's name.
Bonner engaged in numerous communications with individuals claiming to be TSM employees, including names like Feliciano Zelaya, Ramon Ruiz, Eugenio Cerra, Jr., and Emilio Aponte. These individuals instructed Bonner to pay management fees to release the investment proceeds. Despite Bonner's payments, she never received the funds, leading to a claim of damages over $1 million.

B. Procedural History:

Bonner filed a lawsuit in 2019, alleging fraud, breach of contract, and RICO violations against Triple-S. Triple-S denied the claims, asserting that Bonner was a victim of fraud perpetrated by unrelated third parties. Bonner filed discovery motions, seeking responses to interrogatories and document production, which were partially denied by the district court.
While the discovery motions were pending, Triple-S moved for summary judgment, arguing that Bonner had not been in contact with actual Triple-S employees and was a victim of a fraud unrelated to TSM. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Triple-S, prompting Bonner's appeal.

II. Discussion:

A. Motion to Compel and Motion for Reconsideration:

Bonner appealed the district court's writ denying her discovery motions. The case law has emphasized the broad discretion that trial courts have in pretrial motion matters and reviewed denials for abuse of discretion. The court found that the district court did not err in denying Bonner's motions based entirely on the objections raised by Triple-S, including overbreadth, burdensomeness, and lack of relevance. The courtroom also said Bonner failed to meet her obligations under local and federal guidelines to resolve the discovery dispute before seeking judicial intervention.

B. Motion for Summary Judgment:

Bonner appealed the summary judgment, arguing that Triple-S's affidavits now do not comply with Rule 56(c)(4). The Court clarified that Rule 56(c)(4) requires affidavits of private information to be made, to establish admissible statistics, and to establish the counterpart's competency to testify. The court record found that the district court properly excluded the conclusory statements from Triple-S's affidavits and the normal allowable amounts.
Bonner's evidence, which includes transcribed conversations and emails, has been disputed as hearsay by Triple-S. The court upheld the district court's choice, pointing out that the evidence did not meet the prerequisites for admission and no longer established a real dispute about a fictitious reality. The court docket concluded that the district court docket did not err in granting summary judgment to Triple-S.

III. Conclusion:

The appellate court affirmed the district court's selections, declaring that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Bonner's discovery-associated motions and properly taken into consideration admissible evidence on the summary judgment degree. The case highlights the significance of adhering to discovery rules and providing admissible evidence to support claims in legall complaints.

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