Category: Pennsylvania

-UPDATE- Reconsideration Denied; Summary Judgment for Harleysville Upheld In Bad Faith Case

READING, Feb. 2 – The Berks County Court of Common Pleas has denied Plaintiff’s Motion for Reconsideration on the same day the motion was filed regarding the case discussed in this prior post.

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Reading, Pa., Jan. 19. Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote attorneys C.J. Haddick and Christine Line have won a dismissal in a bad faith case in favor of client Harleysville Insurance Companies.  The Berks County, Pa.  Court of Common Pleas on January 19 granted the motion for summary judgment filed by Haddick and Line in a bad faith suit arising out of a commercial property coverage dispute over an alleged van theft and fire involving business personal property.  Haddick and Line are members of the firm’s Insurance Law and Litigation Group.

Harleysville did not dispute it owed coverage for the value of the van, substitute van rental expense, and for the value of certain business personal property under an inland marine policy.  It did contest, however, the Plaintiff’s claimed entitlement to a variety of other sums for towing, vehicle storage, loss of business income, and claims for tool losses in excess of the policy limit.  The Court agreed that the additional claims were unsupported by the policy language.

The Court also agreed with Harleysville’s position that regardless of the outcome of the several coverage claims, the claims decisions made were made with reasonable legal and factual bases.  As a result, the Plaintiff’s bad faith claims were dismissed as well.

For additional details on  the ruling, or suggestions  how to have your coverage and bad faith claims decided faster and more favorably with greater cost control, contact us at chaddick@dmclaw.com or 717-731-4800

Rogers Flooring Co. v. Harleysville Ins. Co., Berks County No. 14-674 (Sprecher, J.)

Zurich Asks 3rd Circuit To Reverse $1M UM/UIM Award

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 13.  Zurich American Insurance company has asked the U.S. Court of appeals  for the Third Circuit to reverse a lower court’s ruling ordering it to pay $1 million in uninsured motorist (UM) benefits, arguing that a sign down form setting UM limits at $35,oo0.00 was valid and enforceable.

Stefan Freeth alleged injury while working on a truck owned by roadway contractor Road-Con Inc.  He sought UM/UIM benefits under Road – Con’s commercial auto policy with Zurich, and was awarded $1 million in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pa., following Zurich’s removal of the case from the Chester County, Pa. Court of Common Pleas.

On appeal, Zurich contends that the sign down form completed by a company executive was a sufficient “express designation” within the meaning of the Pa. M.V.F.R.L.  to constitute a valid election of UM/UIM limits lower than the commercial auto policy’s bodily injury limits of $1 million dollars.  Freeth’s counsel claims the form is ambiguous, stating,  “there is no affirmative written election of the amount of $35,000.00 by Road-Con. There is no handwritten entry by the named insured or check mark or initialing of the amount of $35,000.00 on the Summary Form.”

Stefan Freeth v. Zurich American Insurance Co., No. 15-2924, (3rd Cir 2015)

Editor’s Note:  For copies of the briefing, email me at chaddick@dmclaw.com

Federal Judge Denies Stay, Upholds Insurer’s Work Product Privilege In Bad Faith Case

Reading, Pa., Jan. 19.  U.S. District Judge  Joseph Leeson  has denied a motion filed by Allstate Insurance Company to sever and  stay a  bad faith claim, including  discovery,  in a combined breach of contract and bad faith case, but has ordered that Allstate may properly assert work product privilege protection as to matters genuinely prepared in anticipation of litigation.

In Wagner v. Allstate, Judge Leeson conceded that while there may be a basis for separate trial of the breach of contract and bad faith claims under F.R.C.P. 42 , there was no need to prevent simultaneous discovery in both the breach of contract and bad faith claims.

Judge Leeson also granted in part and denied in part Plaintiff’s motion to compel discovery of Allstate’s claims file, ruling that the Court needed more information to make a complete ruling on the motion.  The Court ruled that Allstate did have the right to assert privilege over materials in its claims files which were prepared in anticipation of litigation, while observing the parties disputed the date at which time Allstate’s anticipation of litigation over the underlying UIM claim was bona fide.

Wagner v. Allstate Ins. Co., E.D. Pa. 2016 (Leeson, J.)

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)