Drago v. Sykes

19 F. Supp. 3d 685, 2014 WL 1764741, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61370
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedMay 2, 2014
DocketCivil Action No. 13-563
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 19 F. Supp. 3d 685 (Drago v. Sykes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Drago v. Sykes, 19 F. Supp. 3d 685, 2014 WL 1764741, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61370 (E.D. La. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER AND REASONS

KURT D. ENGELHARDT, District Judge.

Before the Court is a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment Regarding Plaintiffs Claim of Misrepresentation (Rec. Doc. 66), filed by defendant State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (“State Farm”). Opposition and reply memoranda are filed at Rec. Docs. 67 and 72.

I. BACKGROUND:

This case arises out of a ear accident on September 26, 2011, in which the plaintiff rear-ended a vehicle driven by Qiana Sykes in the Crescent City Connection toll plaza. Plaintiffs insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (“State Farm”), settled without litigation the personal injury and property damage claims filed by Ms. Sykes. One year after the accident, on September 25, 2012, plaintiff filed suit in the Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans, against Sykes, her insurer (Geico Indemnity Company), and State Farm, alleging that Sykes was at fault for the accident and that State Farm owes him underinsured motorist (“UM”) [687]*687coverage. (Rec. Doc. 4-8). On December 7, 2012, the plaintiff filed a motion to dismiss Sykes and Geico after settling with Geico for policy limits of $30,000. (Rec. Docs. 4-5 at 7, 4-6). Upon receiving notice of the dismissal, in March 2013, State Farm removed the case to this Court on the basis of diversity.

In addition to seeking payment of UM benefits from State Farm, the plaintiff has sought statutory penalties1 against State Farm on two grounds: (1) an alleged misrepresentation by a State Farm representative regarding plaintiffs right to make a claim under his UM policy; and (2) State Farm’s failure to tender UM benefits in response to medical records provided to State Farm after suit was filed. See Rec. Docs. 14-5 at 8 of 9, 14-6. The Court has already dismissed the latter of these two claims on partial summary judgment. See Rec. Doc. 34. State Farm now moves to dismiss the former.

II. LAW AND ANALYSIS:

“The Court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). “[T]he burden on the moving party may be discharged by ‘showing1 — that is, pointing out to the district court — that there is an absence of evidence to support the nonmov-ing party’s case.” Amazing Spaces, Inc. v. Metro Mini Storage, 608 F.3d 225, 234 (5th Cir.2010) (quoting Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 325, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986)). Once the moving party has carried this burden, the nonmov-ing party “must do more than simply show that there is some metaphysical doubt as to the material facts.” Id. (quoting Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 586, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986)). “[T]he nonmoving party must come forward with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Id. (quoting Matsushita, 475 U.S. at 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348). “[Tjhere is no issue for trial unless there is sufficient evidence favoring the nonmoving party for a jury to return a verdict for that party.” Id. (quoting Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 249, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986)). Although the Court must draw in favor of the nonmoving party all reasonable inferences that may be drawn from the evidence submitted, “a party cannot defeat summary judgment with conclusory allegations, unsubstantiated assertions, or ‘only a scintilla of evidence.’ ” Turner v. Baylor Richardson Medical Center, 476 F.3d 337, 343 (5th Cir.2007) (quoting Little v. Liquid Air Corp., 37 F.3d 1069, 1075 (5th Cir.1994)); Bellard v. Gautreaux, 675 F.3d 454, 460 (5th Cir.2012). If the nonmoving party cannot produce admissible evidence sufficient to establish an essential element as to which the nonmoving party would bear the burden at trial, entry of summary judgment is mandated. Celotex Corp., 477 U.S. at 322-23, 106 S.Ct. 2548.

State Farm moves for dismissal of the misrepresentation claim based oh two grounds: (1) the misrepresentation established by plaintiffs evidence does not relate to a “coverage issue,” and thus cannot support a claim for statutory penalties; and (2) alternatively, plaintiff is limited to the $5,000 statutory penalty because plaintiff cannot establish that he sustained any general or special damages .as a result of the alleged misrepresentation.

A. Does the Plaintiff’s Evidence Establish a Misrepresentation Relating to a “Coverage Issue”?

The bad faith penalty statute provides in pertinent part:

[688]*688A. An insurer, including but not limited to a foreign line and surplus line insurer, owes to his insured a duty of good faith and fair dealing. The insurer has an affirmative duty to adjust claims fairly and promptly and to make a reasonable effort to settle claims with the insured or the claimant, or both. Any insurer who breaches these duties shall be liable for any damages sustained as a result of the breach.
B. Any one of the following acts, if knowingly committed or performed by an insurer, constitutes a breach of the insurer’s duties imposed in Subsection A of this Section:
(1) Misrepresenting pertinent facts or insurance policy provisions relating to any coverages at issue.
# *

La.Rev.Stat. § 22:1973(A) and (B). “A ‘misrepresentation’ occurs when an ‘an insurer either makes untrue statements to an insured concerning pertinent facts [of a policy] or fails to divulge pertinent facts to the insured.’ ” Versai Management Corp. v. Clarendon America Ins., 597 F.3d 729, 740 (5th Cir.2010) (quoting McGee v. Omni Ins. Co., 840 So.2d 1248, 1256 (La.Ct.App. 3rd Cir.2003)). “The terms of the statute require that the misrepresentations relate to a ‘coverage issue’ which would ‘involve facts about the policy itself, such as the amount of coverage, lapse or expiration of the policy, or exclusions from coverage.’ ” Id. (quoting Imperial Trading Co. v. Travelers Prop. Cas. Co., No. 06-4262, 2009 WL 2356290, at *3 (E.D.La. July 27, 2009)).

Here, plaintiff testified in his deposition as follows:

Q.Your allegations in your pleading say that a State Farm adjustor made a misrepresentation in its handling of the claim to you. What was that misrepresentation?

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19 F. Supp. 3d 685, 2014 WL 1764741, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 61370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/drago-v-sykes-laed-2014.