Sutton v. Scarborough

2025 Ohio 4690
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 10, 2025
DocketL-25-00005
StatusPublished

This text of 2025 Ohio 4690 (Sutton v. Scarborough) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sutton v. Scarborough, 2025 Ohio 4690 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

[Cite as Sutton v. Scarborough, 2025-Ohio-4690.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT LUCAS COUNTY

Ian R. Sutton Court of Appeals No. L-25-00005

Appellant Trial Court No. CI0202401431

v.

Tammy Scarborough, et al., DECISION AND JUDGMENT

Appellees Decided: October 10, 2025

***** Ian R. Sutton, appellant, pro se.

J. Mark Trimble, Esq., and Steven E. House, attorneys for appellee, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.

Johnathan Angarola, Esq., attorney for appellee, Tammy Scarborough.

***** DUHART, J.

{¶ 1} This case is before the court on appeal by appellant, Ian Sutton, from the

December 16, 2024 judgment of the Lucas County Common Pleas Court. For the reasons

that follow, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. {¶ 2} Sutton asserts the following assignments of error:1

1. The Trial Court Erred in Granting Summary Judgment Despite Genuine Issues of Material Fact[.]

2. The Trial Court Erred in Holding That Plaintiff-Appellant’s Direct Action Against State Farm Is Prohibited[.]

3. The Appeals Court May Abuse its Discretion by Granting Defendants- Appellees’ Untimely Motions While Plaintiff-Appellant’s Request for an Extension is Currently Pending[.]

4. The Trial Court Erred by Failing to Address Plaintiff-Appellant’s Motions Regarding Procedural and Ethical Violations[.]

5. The Trial Court Erred in Granting Summary Judgment Despite Plaintiff- Appellant’s Submission of Evidence Demonstrating Defendants’ Liability[.]

6. The Trial Court Erred by Failing to Consider Plaintiff-Appellant’s Submitted Evidence and Allowing Defendants to Misrepresent Facts[.]

7. The Trial Court Erred by Allowing Defendants-Appellees to Coerce Plaintiff-Appellant’ into Providing False Testimony[.]

8. The Appeals Court May Err by Accepting Defendants-Appellees’ Late Filings Without Proper Motions for Extension[.]

9. The Trial Court Erred in Treating Improperly Served Requests for Admissions as Admitted, Despite Civ.R. 5(B) (2)(f) Requiring Consent for Electronic Service.

10. The Trial Court Violated Due Process by Ignoring Critical Evidence Submitted with Plaintiff-Appellant’s Complaint and Failing to Consider Material Facts.

1 Sutton sets forth different assignments of error in the statement of assignments of error and the body of his brief. We set forth those that appear in the body of the brief.

2. 11. The Trial Court Improperly Dismissed Plaintiff-Appellant’s Bad Faith Claim Against State Farm Despite Evidence of Improper Settlement Practices.

12. Defendants-Appellees Committed Perjury and Misrepresented Facts, yet The Trial Court Failed to Address these Material Misrepresentations.

Background

{¶ 3} On May 30, 2022, an automobile accident occurred on Talmadge Road, in

Toledo, Ohio between Sutton’s vehicle and a vehicle driven by appellee, Tammy

Scarborough. At the time, Scarborough was insured by appellee, State Farm Mutual

Automobile Insurance Company (“State Farm”).

{¶ 4} On February 12, 2024, Sutton filed a pro se complaint against Scarborough

and State Farm in which he alleged a negligence claim against Scarborough, he asserted a

direct action against State Farm seeking underinsured motorist coverage (“UIM”)

benefits and medical payments under Scarborough’s policy, and he asserted a bad faith

claim against State Farm for failing to settle his injury claim. Attached to Sutton’s

complaint were numerous documents including medical records and pictures.

{¶ 5} On February 22, 2024, Sutton filed a “Request for Relief” in which he

claimed he was also entitled to recover under Scarborough’s State Farm umbrella policy.

On March 21, 2024, the trial court issued an order in which it deemed Sutton’s “Request

for Relief” to be an amended complaint and granted Scarborough and State Farm 28 days

to file an answer to the amended complaint.

3. {¶ 6} On March 28, 2024, Sutton filed a motion for default judgment. On April 1,

2024, State Farm filed a motion for leave to file its answer. On April 8, 2024,

Scarborough filed an opposition to the motion for default, along with her answer. On

April 15, 2024, State Farm filed a motion for relief from default judgment, although no

default judgment had been entered. On April 19, 2024, Sutton filed a response. On May

2, 2024, the trial court denied Sutton’s motion for default, finding, inter alia, excusable

neglect on State Farm’s part. Also on that day, the court granted State Farm’s motion for

leave, giving State Farm two weeks to file its answer, and the court denied State Farm’s

motion for relief from default as moot. On May 8, 2024, State Farm filed its answer.

{¶ 7} On July 15, 2024, Scarborough filed a notice of service of requests for

admissions on Sutton, via email and regular U.S. mail. The requests for admissions were

for Sutton to admit: (1) he was negligent in the accident; (2) Scarborough was not

negligent in the accident; (3) he was not injured in the accident; (4) he had no medical

treatment proximately caused by the accident, and (5) any medical treatment proximately

caused by the accident was due to his own negligence.

{¶ 8} On August 16, 2024, Sutton filed a motion requesting the case be reassigned

to a different judge, and on August 27, 2024, the trial court denied the motion.

{¶ 9} On August 30, 2024, Sutton filed a “General Response to the Court’s Order

Dated August 27, 2024,” in which he asserted he had filed a grievance against the trial

judge with the Ohio Supreme Court and requested the trial judge to recuse himself. On

September 6, 2024, the trial court denied the motion, and on September 12, 2024, Sutton

4. filed a “Response,” requesting reconsideration of the recusal request. Sutton also filed a

mandamus action in this court, seeking the removal of the trial judge. On September 27,

2024, this court dismissed Sutton’s mandamus action. On October 1, 2024, the trial court

denied Sutton’s latest request for recusal.

{¶ 10} On October 3, 2024, Sutton filed with the Ohio Supreme Court an affidavit

of disqualification of the trial judge, and on October 15, 2024, it was denied by the Ohio

Supreme Court. In the interim, on October 14, 2024, State Farm filed with the trial court

a motion to dismiss, or, in the alternative, a motion for summary judgment. State Farm

argued Sutton filed an impermissible UIM action against it, as Sutton did not have UIM

coverage with State Farm nor did Sutton obtain a judgment against Scarborough. State

Farm also argued a third-party has no cause of action for bad faith, as an insurer’s duty to

act in good faith runs only to the insured.

{¶ 11} On October 18, 2024, Sutton filed another affidavit of disqualification of

the trial judge with the Ohio Supreme Court, raising one new allegation. On October 28,

2024, the Ohio Supreme Court denied Sutton’s second affidavit of disqualification of the

trial judge and found the case shall proceed before the trial judge.

{¶ 12} On October 31, 2024, Scarborough filed with the trial court a motion for

summary judgment in which she argued that there was no evidence that she was negligent

in the accident, and the only record evidence was her requests for admissions, to which

Sutton did not respond, where he admitted he was negligent, and she was not.

5. Scarborough also argued Sutton presented no medical expert reports to prove proximate

causation.

{¶ 13} On November 5, 2024, the trial court issued an order advising the parties

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Bluebook (online)
2025 Ohio 4690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sutton-v-scarborough-ohioctapp-2025.