Brady v. Allstate Indemnity Co.

788 N.E.2d 916, 2003 Ind. App. LEXIS 879, 2003 WL 21212793
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 27, 2003
Docket71A03-0206-CV-181
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 788 N.E.2d 916 (Brady v. Allstate Indemnity Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brady v. Allstate Indemnity Co., 788 N.E.2d 916, 2003 Ind. App. LEXIS 879, 2003 WL 21212793 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

OPINION

KIRSCH, Judge.

Genn Brady appeals the trial court's grant of partial summary judgment in favor of Allstate Indemnity Company ("Allstate"). On appeal, Brady raises three issues for our review,1 which we consolidate and restate as: whether the trial court erred in granting summary judgment on Brady's claims of bad faith and punitive damages because it found that there is no genuine issue of material fact as to whether Allstate breached its duty to deal with Brady in good faith.

We affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On September 12, 1997, Brady was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Lisa Barley that was hit by a vehicle driven by Nathaniel Crain" Brady sustained injuries to his arm and shoulder blade. Allstate insured Crain,2 whose policy allowed payment for bodily injury up to his $25,000 policy limit. Coincidentally, Allstate also insured Brady as a named insured under a policy issued to Barley ("Brady's policy"). Brady's policy provided for underinsured motorist ("UIM") coverage that entitled Brady to submit a UIM claim up to a $50,000 policy limit, less any underlying policy payments.

Under the terms of his policy, Brady could pursue a UIM claim only after being paid the $25,000 policy limit of Crain's underlying policy. Chris Good was Allstate's representative for Crain's underlying coverage, and James Yoder was Allstate's representative for Brady's UIM claim. Philip Mareo was Allstate's Claims Supervisor and the person to whom both Good and Yoder reported.

Brady negotiated his underlying claim with Good while keeping Yoder apprised of his progress. Allstate questioned the extent of Brady's injuries on the underlying claim, but did not dispute that he incurred $7,307 in medical expenses and $9,480 in lost wages. Appellant's Appendix at 1839. Ultimately, Allstate tendered to Brady the $25,000 limit from Crain's policy, but refused to pay anything on Brady's UIM claim. On July 6, 1998, Brady filed a complaint alleging that Allstate breached both the insurance contract and its duty of good faith toward Brady by failing to pay the UIM claim. The complaint prayed for the cost of the action, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for Allstate's breach of its duty of good faith.

On January 31, 2001, Allstate filed a motion for partial summary judgment on the breach of good faith and punitive damages claims. In support of this motion, Allstate designated evidence including pleadings, a copy of Brady's insurance policy, portions of Brady's deposition, and Mareo's affidavit. In response to Allstate's motion for partial summary judgment, Brady's designated evidence included his complaint, Allstate's answer to the [918]*918complaint, portions of Brady's deposition, Brady's affidavit, and the affidavit of expert witness James Ludlow.

The designated facts most favorable to Brady as the nonmoving party reveal that his injuries initially prevented him from working. Brady reported this loss of income to Good, and, less than two weeks after the accident, Allstate paid him for two weeks of lost wages. This payment was an advance on the settlement of the underlying claim. On October 10, 1997, Brady spoke with Good about additional payment for lost wages and was informed that Good could not process the request without medical verification of the injuries and a disability statement regarding Brady's inability to work. Brady's treating physician, Dr. Charlee Ware, submitted the requested verification of injuries and Allstate advanced Brady two more weeks of lost wages. Thereafter, Dr. Ware sent Good a confirmation that Brady was unable to work until further notice. During the next two months, Brady requested and Allstate paid five separate advances for additional lost wages, which collectively totaled $5,810.

On January 26, 1998, Brady sent a letter to Good in which he: (1) complimented Good for his "consummate professionalism in the way in which he hald] been handling the case;" (2) explained that his damages would far exceed $50,000; and (8) requested payment of both the $25,000 limit under Crain's Allstate policy and $25,000 in UIM payments under his own policy, the difference between the $50,000 limit and Crain's $25,000 limit. Brady's Deposition at 113; Appellant's Appendix at 59. Brady also sent a copy of this letter to Yoder. On February 3, 1998, Good informed Brady by telephone that the claim would be evaluated once pertinent medical records were received. Good also indicated that, although he would evaluate Brady's case, he could not guarantee that Brady had a "[UIM] limits case." Appellant's Appendix at 100. After learning that Brady was pursuing a UIM claim, Good attempted to settle the underlying Crain case for less than $25,000 on at least three separate occasions. These offers failed to include fourteen medical bills that Brady had previously submitted.

At the end of February or the beginning of March 1998, Brady contacted his physical therapist and instructed her not to release medical records to Allstate until Brady spoke to his attorney, Michael Anderson. On March 6, 1998, Good called Brady and informed him of the need for an independent medical examination. Brady refused the medical examination claiming that it violated his civil rights. Brady further asserted that, based on Allstate's refusal between January and March of 1998 to pay the policy limits requested, he planned to file a bad faith claim against both Allstate and Good.

On March 16, 1998, Marco spoke with Anderson and advised him that "Allstate would pay the policy limits on the policy covering Nathanial Crain (after adjusting for prepayments) to avoid needless litigation, but no additional evaluation could be made until an independent medical examination was performed and complete records received." Appellant's Appendix at 73. On May 18, 1998, Dr. Jonathan Javors conducted an independent medical examination on Brady and concluded that he had not fractured his shoulder blade in the accident. Appellant's Appendix at 61. Allstate determined that Brady's injuries did not exceed the $25,000 paid under Crain's policy and denied his UIM claim.

Ludlow, a former claims adjuster for Allstate, reviewed Brady's file and opined that his "claim was clearly in excess of [$25,000] based on a review of the type of injuries he received which included a possi[919]*919ble fracture of his clavicle/seapula, some disability as a result of damages to his ulna[ ] nerve, lost wages and medical expenses which totaled in excess of [$14,-000]."3 Appellant's Appendix at 145. Ludlow further averred that Good and Yo-der had several conversations about proposed payments of the underlying and UIM claims, that Good and Crain reported to Marco, and that Marco was responsible for payments made under both policies.

Following a hearing, the trial court granted Allstate's motion for partial summary judgment on Brady's claim of bad faith and request for punitive damages. Noting that there was no just reason for delay, the trial court entered a final judgment with respect to its order. See Ind. Trial Rule 56(C). Brady now appeals.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

"'The purpose of summary judgment is to terminate litigation about which there can be no material factual dispute and which can be resolved as a matter of law.'" Holt v. Quality Motor Sales, Inc., 776 N.E.2d 361, 364 (Ind.Ct.App.2002), trams. denied (quoting Harris v.

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788 N.E.2d 916, 2003 Ind. App. LEXIS 879, 2003 WL 21212793, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brady-v-allstate-indemnity-co-indctapp-2003.