Trinity Universal Insurance v. Bleeker

944 S.W.2d 672, 1997 WL 89093
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMay 22, 1997
Docket13-95-075-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 944 S.W.2d 672 (Trinity Universal Insurance v. Bleeker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trinity Universal Insurance v. Bleeker, 944 S.W.2d 672, 1997 WL 89093 (Tex. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinions

OPINION

CHAVEZ, Justice.

This case evolves out of an insurance company’s conduct when confronted with settlement offers arising from an automobile collision. The jury found that Trinity Universal Insurance Company, et al., (hereafter “Trinity” or “appellants”) had breached their Stow-ers 1 duty to settle on behalf of their insured, Ronnie Dale Bleeker, violated the DTPA, and breached a common law duty of good faith and fair dealing. Actual damages were assessed against appellants for $12,836,-976.75, and trebled pursuant to the DTPA to a figure of $38,510,930.25. Attorney’s fees, intended to represent 50% of the judgment, were added in the amount of $38,510,930.25, for a total judgment of $77,021,860.50.

We will note the issues on appeal in the order in which we address them. First, appellants contend that they did not breach any duty created by the receipt of a valid settlement offer because they never received a valid settlement offer. Next, appellants complain of error regarding the allegedly improper admission into evidence of an exhibit consisting of a letter from Bleeker’s criminal lawyer, Michael MaGuire, to Craig Vittitoe, Bleeker’s lawyer from the underlying liability case. Appellants also argue that all recovery in this case must be denied because Bleeker has always maintained his satisfaction with Trinity, so a case against his insurer can not be brought in his name against his wishes. On the issue of a possible DTPA violation for failure to inform the insured of settlement offers, appellee contends that appellants have waived their right to complain about the submission of this issue by failing to make a timely objection at trial. Appellants claim that they did preserve error, deny that they owe a duty under the DTPA to inform their insured of the settlement offers, and argue that the court erred in its award of attorney’s fees. Appellants argue that they did not breach the Stowers duty, since the settlement offers would have been rejected by a reasonably prudent person, and that the jury’s finding on damages was not supported by legally or factually sufficient evidence. Appellants also deny that third parties can assert a duty to process claims in good faith under either the DTPA or the common law. Further, appellants argue that even if such a duty exists, the evidence was legally and factually insufficient to support such a claim under the facts of this case. Appellee brings one cross-point, alleging that it was error for the trial judge to exclude from the jury charge a request for a finding on unconscionability on the part of Trinity. We reverse in part and affirm in part and remand for further proceedings.

Factual Background

In the early morning hours of July 14, 1990, Ronnie Dale Bleeker was driving his Chevrolet Blazer northbound on Interstate Highway 35 near Georgetown, Texas, while [675]*675under the influence of alcohol. Two families, the Villarreals and the Ochoas, were travel-ling together to Illinois in a pickup truck and had pulled to the side of the highway to change drivers. Bleeker’s vehicle strayed from the road and struck the rear of the parked truck. Filiberto Villarreal was killed, and the thirteen other members of the two families were all injured, many of them seriously.

Bleeker possessed an auto liability insurance policy from Southern County Insurance Company for the minimum required by law, $20,100 per person and $40,000 per accident. Trinity Universal reinsured Southern County’s policies and handled their claims. Bleeker had no assets other than the insurance policy with which to pay damages assessed against him. The Villarreals and the Ochoas quickly incurred substantial medical bills, and the hospitals that had been treating the families attached liens in excess of the $40,-000 policy limits within thirty days of the collision.

Albert Villegas was hired to represent Ida-lia Villarreal and her minor children, as well as the estate of Filiberto Villarreal. Villegas testified that he made repeated oral offers to settle the claims of the clients he represented for as little as $20,000, which were all rejected. Eventually he sent a letter containing an offer to settle in exchange for interpleading $40,000. This offer stated that it would expire in thirty days. Although Villegas was later hired to represent the Ochoas and the remaining Villarreals, Victor and Amalia, he was not their lawyer at the time the letter was sent. At the time of the letter, he had not been in contact with the hospitals regarding their liens. The letter stated:

... I hereby make demand for full policy limits on behalf of my clients. As there are other claimants, such demand can be met by depositing the full policy limits into the Registry of the Court in Hidalgo, County, Texas with the District Clerk.
If such funds are not deposited within thirty days (30), we will proceed against your client to trial and seek full damages. You are aware of the Stowers doctrine and the responsibility to your insured as well as Allstate v. Kelly, so that your insured is not put at risk.

Trinity did not deposit any funds into the registry of the court, either within the thirty day period or later. Trinity did tell Villegas that they would like to settle the case for full policy limits if a release from all parties could be secured as part of the settlement arrangement. Trinity did not contact Bleeker to discuss Villegas’s letter or the oral settlement offers. After the expiration of the settlement offer, Villegas took on the representation of the Ochoas and the remaining members of the Villarreal family. He proceeded with the case against Bleeker, and in January 1994 a judgment was entered against Bleeker for damages exceeding $11 million. In a subsequent proceeding, the plaintiffs acquired turn over of Bleeker’s cause of action against his insurance company. In July 1994, this suit was filed in Bleeker’s name against Trinity, resulting in the judgment for $77,021,860.50.

The Adequacy of the Oral Offers and the Settlement Demand

The parties dispute whether the oral offers of settlement testified to by Ville-gas are sufficient to activate a Stowers duty. Appellants presented no evidence to controvert Villegas’s testimony as to the oral offers, rather they argued at trial and here on appeal that settlement offers should be in writing to trigger the Stowers duty. Appellants refer to rule 11 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure as support for their position. This reliance is misplaced. Rule 11 requires that settlement agreements be in writing, not that settlement offers be in writing. Generally speaking, settlements are governed by the principles of contract law. Shaw v. Kennedy, 879 S.W.2d 240, 247 (Tex.App. — Amarillo 1994, no writ); Stewart v. Mathes, 528 S.W.2d 116, 118 (Tex.Civ.App. — Beaumont 1975, no writ). Under contract law, oral offers are valid to the same extent as written offers.

Appellants argue that there is no evidence that Trinity was afforded a reasonable time to evaluate the oral offers, as required by American Physicians. See American Physicians Insurance Exchange v. Garcia, [676]*676876 S.W.2d 842, 848 (Tex.1994). Villegas testified that he made the oral offers before submitting his written demand.

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

Related

Two Thirty Nine Joint Venture v. Joe
60 S.W.3d 896 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Southern County Mutual Insurance Co. v. Ochoa
19 S.W.3d 452 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
State Farm Lloyds, Inc. v. Williams
960 S.W.2d 781 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Trinity Universal Insurance v. Bleeker
944 S.W.2d 672 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
944 S.W.2d 672, 1997 WL 89093, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trinity-universal-insurance-v-bleeker-texapp-1997.