Low Settlement Offer Not Conclusive Proof of Bad Faith

A federal district court judge has dismissed a bad faith complaint in which the only allegation against the insurer was that it made a low offer of settlement in a UM/UIM case.  In West v. State Farm, U.S. District Judge John Jones dismissed a bad faith claim in an amended complaint on a motion to dismiss filed by the insurer, but allowed a breach of contract claim to proceed.

In West, the insured was rear-ended in an automobile accident, and filed UM/UIM claim with his insurer, State Farm. The insured submitted medical records and $8,232.00 in medical expenses, in response to which State Farm offered $1,000.00.

In the amended complaint, the insured alleged that the low offer was itself sufficient support for the allegation that State Farm recklessly disregarded a reasonable basis for paying more on the UM/UIM claim.  Judge Jones found the argument to be lacking, finding that the bad faith count of the complaint failed to allege sufficient factual support:

Plaintiff argues that the offer of $1,000 to settle $8,232.00 worth of medical bills shows bad faith. The Court finds that these facts are not sufficient, as a matter of law, to sustain a claim for bad faith. Plaintiff has not presented facts to show that Defendant “knew or recklessly disregarded its lack of reasonable basis in” in offering a “low-ball” offer. A “low-ball” offer alone does not suffice to support a claim for bad faith. “[B]ad faith is not present merely because an insurer makes a low but reasonable estimate of an insured’s damages.” Johnson v. Progressive Ins. Co., 987 A.2d 781, 784 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2009) (citing Condio v. Erie Ins. Exchange, 899 A.2d 1136, 1142 (Pa. Super. 2006)). “[T]he failure to immediately accede to a demand for the policy limit cannot, without more, amount to bad faith.” Smith v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 506 F. App’x 133, 136 (3d Cir. 2012) (non-precedential).

The Court granted the Plaintiff  an additional thirty days to file a second amended complaint in an attempt to revive the bad faith claim.

West v. State Farm, CIVIL ACTION NO. 16-3185 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 11, 2016)(Jones, J.)

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