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Bad Faith Blog

We cover current issues, highlights and best practices exclusively on claims of bad faith and extra contractual damages.

Bad Faith Blog
January 31, 2019

Bad Pleading Bars Bad Faith/ Extra-Contractual Claims

Propitious and Connacht were co-owned.  Propitious owned the building from whom Connacht leased the first floor to operate a restaurant and sports bar.  Propitious insured the structure through Badger Mutual Insurance Company and Connacht insured its business through Society Insurance when the building and business had a damaging water loss. After Propitious and Connacht were unable to resolve their insurance claims with Badger and Society, they joined in a suit in which they jointly sued Badger and Society. Society moved to dismiss multiple counts and succeeded in getting those statutory bad faith and extra-contractual counts dismissed without prejudice.

Bad Faith Blog
October 30, 2016

Against Public Policy But Not Vexatious and Unreasonable

Summary: The Hadarys were involved in an automobile accident with Carlos Velez, a rental car driver. Both the Hadarys and Velez had automobile insurance at the time of the accident. Velez declined to purchase the supplemental liability insurance offered by Hertz at the time of the rental, and his insurance policy limit was too low to cover the injuries incurred by the Hadarys. The Hadarys had underinsured motorist coverage through Safeway, but Safeway pointed to an “exhaustion clause” in its policy providing that Hertz had to first exhaust its financial responsibility liability before Safeway would have to pay. The trial court agreed with Safeway, but the appellate court reversed holding that the lower court’s result was against public policy. Furthermore, the trial court found that Safeway did not engage in unreasonable and vexatious conduct. The appellate court affirmed the trial court ruling reasoning that Safeway’s interpretation of its policy was reasonable but wrong because its interpretation contravened public policy.

Bad Faith Blog
April 29, 2016

Attorneys’ Bad Faith Prosecution of Bad Faith Claims Warrants Sanctions

Summary: Federal law provides for the imposition of sanctions against attorneys who unreasonably and vexatiously cause an opponent to incur excess costs and fees. A bad faith finding is required to impose those sanctions. In the Nielsen case, the plaintiff’s attorney filed a lengthy complaint alleging eleven causes of action and that ERISA did not apply to a case which was obviously an ERISA case. Two counts were for insurance bad faith and violations of Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA). After multiple dismissals, Unum filed a motion for summary judgment attacking the alleged insurance bad faith and IFCA violations. Plaintiff’s attorney filed a “non-opposition.” In light of that non-opposition the court granted the partial summary judgment and dismissed all remaining non-ERISA claims.

Bad Faith Blog
February 23, 2012

Evidence Suggesting Substandard Claims Handling Supports South Dakota Statutory Vexatious Awards

Summary: Cindy Tripp and Andrea Bjornestad suffered injuries in separate car accidents. Each settled with the at-fault driver and then sought underinsured motorist benefits from their own insurance companies each of which offered to settle for less than the UIM limits and less than the value placed on the UIM claim by the company’s adjustor. After separate juries denied the tort-based bad faith claims, separate district court judges ruled that the carrier’s refusal to pay the amount demanded by the insured was “vexatious or without reasonable cause” and awarded statutory attorney fees. The Eighth Circuit affirmed.