Dees v. Allstate Insurance

933 F. Supp. 2d 1299, 2013 WL 1187652, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39642
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedMarch 21, 2013
DocketCase No. C12-0483JLR
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 933 F. Supp. 2d 1299 (Dees v. Allstate Insurance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dees v. Allstate Insurance, 933 F. Supp. 2d 1299, 2013 WL 1187652, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39642 (W.D. Wash. 2013).

Opinion

ORDER ON DEFENDANT’S MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

JAMES L. ROBART, District Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Before the court are Defendant Allstate Insurance Company’s (“Allstate”) three motions for partial summary judgment against Plaintiff Denise D. Dees. (1/31/13 Mot. (Dkt. #36); 2/7/13 Mot. (Dkt. #40); 2/12/13 Mot. (Dkt. #45).)1 Ms. Dees opposes all three motions in part. (2/15/13 Resp. (Dkt. #-53); 2/25/13 Resp. (Dkt. #57); 3/4/13 Resp. (Dkt. # 60).) The court has considered the motions, all submissions filed in support and opposition thereto, the balance of the record, and the applicable law.2 Being fully advised, the court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Allstate’s 1/31/13 motion regarding damages (Dkt. # 36), GRANTS Allstate’s 2/7/13 motion regarding Ms. Dees’ PIP claim (Dkt. # 40), and DENIES Allstate’s 2/12/13 Motion (Dkt. # 45).

II. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Ms. Dees brings this action against her auto insurer, Allstate, alleging that Allstate failed to fulfill its contractual obligations to her and acted unreasonably by denying her benefits. On May 21, 2006, Ms, Dees was injured in a two-car accident. (Compl. (Dkt. #1) at ¶ 2.3.) An uninsured driver was at fault. (Id. at [1304]*1304¶ 2.4.) Allstate insured Ms. Dees under an auto insurance policy at the . time of the accident (hereinafter referred to as the “Insurance Contract”). (1/31/13 Mot. at 3.)

At issue in this lawsuit are two types of coverage in the Insurance Contract: Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) and Underinsured • Motorist Coverage (“UIM”). (Compl. at ¶¶ 2.1-2.2.) The pertinent portion of the PIP coverage in the Insurance Contract states:

Allstate will pay to or on behalf of the injured person the following benefits. Payments will be made only when bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death is caused by an accident arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle.
(1) Medical and Hospital Benefits
All reasonable and necessary expenses incurred within three years from the date of the accident. This covers medical, surgical, and dental treatment, professional nursing, hospital, and rehabilitation services. Also covered are X-ray and other diagnostic services, prosthetic devices, ambulance services, medication, and eye glasses. Other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred for treatment prescribed by licensed medical practitioners are covered.

(Boyd Decl. (Dkt. # 37) at 20.) The Insurance Contract limits coverage of medical benefits under PIP coverage to $35,000 per person. (Id. at 6, 22.)

UIM coverage is designed to cover losses that the insured could have received from the at-fault driver if that driver had insurance up to the UIM policy limits. The pertinent portions of UIM coverage in the Insurance Contract state:

We will pay damages which an insured person is legally entitled to recover from the owner or operator of an underinsured motor vehicle because of bodily injury sustained by an injured person.
s¡: ij: # ij: %
The right to receive any damages and the amount of damages will be decided by agreement between the insured person and Allstate.
If the insured person and we do not agree, then the disagreement will be resolved in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(Boyd Deck (Dkt. # 37) at 23.) The Insurance Contract limits claims under the UIM portion of the policy to $100,000. (Id. at 6, 25.)

Allstate paid Ms. Dees $21,274.83 under the PIP portion .of the policy. (1/31/13. Boyd Deck (Dkt. # 37) at 2.) On March 28, 2007, Allstate sent Ms. Dees a letter effectively terminating her PIP claim. (2/25/13 Resp. at 5.) Allstate continued to investigate Ms. Dees’ UIM claim, though the parties dispute Allstate’s methodology and efforts. (See generally 2/12/13 Mot.; 3/4/13 Resp.)

On February 23, 2011, Ms. Dees’ attorney sent Allstate a UIM demand letter requesting payment of $100,000 — the UIM policy limit. (Wyche Deck Ex. M (Dkt. # 47-2).) On June 9, 2011, Allstate sent Ms. Dees’ counsel a letter counter-offering $8,000, in addition to the amount it had already paid out under the PIP portion of the policy. (3/15/13 Lee Deck Ex. 8 (Dkt. # 54-8).) Unable to reach a settlement, Ms. Dees filed the instant lawsuit in King County Superior Court on March 1, 2012. (See Compl.) Allstate removed the case to this court. (See Notice of Removal (Dkt. #1)0 '

Ms. Dees brings four claims: (1) that Allstate breached the Insurance Contract by failing to pay full amounts owing under the UIM and PIP policies; (2) that Allstate breached its duty of good faith by unduly giving its own financial considerations more weight than those of Ms. Dees; (3) that Allstate violated the Wash[1305]*1305ington Consumer Protection Act (“CPA”), RCW 19.86.010 et seq.; and (4) that Allstate violated the Washington Insurance Fair Conduct Act (“IFCA”), RCW 48.30.010-.015. (Compl. ¶¶ 4-5.)

III. DISCUSSION

Allstate’s motions for summary judgment request the following:

• A determination that Allstate’s maximum potential liability for breach of contract is equal to the Insurance Contract’s UIM and PIP coverage limits, less offset for amounts it paid Ms. Dees under the PIP policy. (1/31/13 Mot. at 2.)
• Dismissal of Ms. Dees’ common law bad faith claim^ related to its handling of her PIP claim , as time barred. (2/7/13 Mot. at 2.) ..
• A determination that Allstate is not liable for bad faith as a matter of law for Allstate’s handling of Ms. Dees’ UIM claim between May 21, 2006 and February 24, 2011. (2/12/13 Mot. at 2.)
• A determination that if Allstate is liable for bad faith, its liability is limited to damages proximately caused by its bad faith conduct, not the underlying car accident. (1/31/13 Mot. at 2.)
• A determination that Allstate’s conduct prior to March 1, 2008, cannot form the basis of Ms. Dees’ CPA claim because its liability for such conduct is time-barred. (2/7/13 Mot. at 2.)
• A determination that if Allstate is liable for violating the CPA, its liability is limited to damages to Ms. Dees’ property' or business proximately caused by its allegedly unfair or deceptive act. (1/31/13 Mot. at 2.)
• Dismissal of Ms. Dees’ IFCA claim ■related to Allstate’s handling of her 1 PIP claim because Allstate denied her PIP claim prior to IFCA’s effective date. (2/7/13 Mot. at 2.)
• A determination that if Allstate is liable for violating IFCA, its liability is limited to damages proximately caused by its allegedly unreasonable denial of Ms. Dees’ claims. (1/31/13 Mot. at 2.)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Davidow v. Zalnatrav Inc
W.D. Washington, 2024
Jerymaine Beasley, V. Geico General Insurance Company
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2022
Schreib v. American Family Mutual Insurance
129 F. Supp. 3d 1129 (W.D. Washington, 2015)
Segura v. Cabrera
319 P.3d 98 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014)
Jose Segura, et ux v. Rogaciano Cabrera, et ux
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2014

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
933 F. Supp. 2d 1299, 2013 WL 1187652, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39642, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dees-v-allstate-insurance-wawd-2013.