3rd Circuit Affirms Denial of Remand Motion, Upholds UM/UIM Waiver

In Lieb v. Allstate, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed district court rulings 1.) denying the insured’s remand motion after Allstate removed the case from state court; and 2.) affirming dismissal of breach of contract claims under an automobile insurance policy, finding the insured’s waiver of UM/UIM coverage to be valid under the Pa.M.V.F.R.L.

The district court properly looked to  assessing jurisdictional amount as of the time of the removal, the appeals court found.  At that time, the Plaintiff’s complaint contained a claim for insurance bad faith, thus taking the value of the case in excess of the $75,000 jurisdictional limit.

The appeals court also affirmed the dismissal of the insured’s suit for UM/UIM benefits, finding a signed waiver form in compliance with Pa. law.

Lieb v. Allstate (3rd Cir. 2016)

Author: CJ Haddick

C.J. Haddick is a Director with the law firm of Dickie, McCamey, & Chilcote, PC, based in Pittsburgh, Pa. He has advised and represented insurers in insurance coverage and bad faith litigation for more than three decades, and written and spoken throughout the United States on insurance coverage and bad faith prevention and litigation. He is Managing Director of the firm's Harrisburg, Pa. office. Reach him at chaddick@dmclaw.com or 717-731-4800. View all posts by CJ Haddick