Dickie McCamey Lawyers Hold Summary Judgment For Harleysville On Appeal Of Breach of Contract and Bad Faith Case

HARRISBURG, September 13 – Dickie McCamey Attorneys C.J. Haddick and Christine Line won a victory for Harleysville Insurance in Pa. Superior Court yesterday, winning an affirmance of a summary judgment motion in a coverage and bad faith case originally filed against the company in Berks County.

In the case, insured Clyde Rogers made claims under both commercial and inland marine insurance policies issued by Harleysville covering a van Rogers used in his business.  After Rogers claimed the vehicle caught fire on January 25, 2012, and was a total loss, he sought reimbursement for the van, tools, and equipment allegedly destroyed inside the van.  Harleysville  paid Rogers a policy limit of $5,000.00 for unscheduled tools and equipment which Rogers accepted, and offered to pay $1,120.00 for the value of the van and $1,220.68 for rental of a substitute van, which Rogers did not accept.  Rogers thereafter filed suit against Harleysville in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas.

The Berks County Court of Common Pleas granted Harleysville’s Motion for Summary Judgment, finding that Harleysville’s remaining offers to pay for the actual cash value of the van, and for rental of a substitute van, were the only remaining obligations owed under either the commercial auto or inland marine policies.  Rogers appealed.

On appeal, a unanimous panel dismissed all of the arguments made on Rogers’ behalf seeking reversal of the judgment in favor of the insurer.  Pa. Superior Court Senior Judge William H. Platt found that nothing in either of the Harleysville polices was ambiguous, as Rogers contended.  Judge Platt also found there was no provision in the policies supporting Rogers’ claims for storage fees or loss of business income.

Based upon his review of the policy language and Harleysville’s position on payment of the claim, the Court found the Plaintiff’s bad faith claims without merit, and affirmed summary judgment on those claims as well.

Finally, Judge Platt ruled that the failure of Mr. Rogers’ lawyer to attend oral argument on Harleysville’s summary judgment motion despite receiving notice of the date of the argument from Harleysville’s lawyers was insufficient grounds to overturn the judgment in favor of Harleysville.

Clyde Rogers v. Harleysville Insurance, No. 289 MDA 2016, Filed September 13, 2016, Pa. Superior Court.

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