Bad Faith Blog

Summary: A motorist, who was injured in an automobile accident with a rental car, brought a garnishment action against the renter and car rental company, seeking the $25,000.00 limit provided by the Motor Vehicle Responsibility Law (MVFRL). The renter filed a cross-claim against the car rental company alleging bad faith failure to settle and breach of contractual duty to defend. The trial court granted summary judgment for the car rental company and the renter appealed. On appeal, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, found the rental car company did not have a duty to defend the renter and the rental car company did not commit bad faith in refusing to settle.

Manu, a GEICO insured, filed suit against his uninsured motorist (UM) insurance carrier to recover for statutory bad faith failure to pay the UM policy limit until after the insured obtained a judgment against the uninsured tort-feasor. The insured’s bad faith claim was dismissed. The Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed the dismissal finding the insurance company owed no duty to settle the insured’s demand until the insured obtained a Judgment against the uninsured tort-feasor. Therefore, the insured had no claim subject to the covenant of good faith until the insurance carrier had a contractual liability to pay the UM claim.