In Leporace v. New York Life & Annuity Corp. the court addressed various motions in limine on a bad faith claim against a disability insurer.
On the first issue, both parties attempted to disqualify the other’s experts. Plaintiff’s expert was qualified on most issues, but was not permitted to testify on the strengths of medical opinions or medical care. Furthers, she was not permitted to testify on reserves. The Court concluded that introducing evidence on reserves would be contrary to the concepts behind competitive and confidential reserve practices of insurance companies, and should not be permitted in a bad faith case on a disability insurance claim.
As to the insurer’s expert, the court allowed expert testimony on the basis of the expert’s conclusions regarding the carrier’s claims manual that the insurer met its obligations; however, it found this expert’s reliance on Pennsylvania statutory and regulatory positions, the NAIC Market Regulation Handbook and various on-line websites “doubtfully relevant, if at all….”
The court would not allow a volume of evidence on the carrier’s practices, prior to the date that the court found the claim at issue started; however, the court did allow limited evidence under Federal Rule of Evidence 404(b) on the specific issue of the carrier identifying the insured as a “malingerer” during a five year period prior to the current claim.
Next, citing Birth Center and the recent Peruggia decision, the court did permit plaintiff to see damages for emotional distress under a common law contract claim for breach of the duty of good faith.
Finally, the court would not allow expert testimony, or recovery, on the insured’s claims for “litigation stress”. The court analyzed this issue closely, and gave two reasons that the insured could not seek recovery for the stress of the bad faith lawsuit itself. First, it cited a body of cases from various jurisdictions rejecting “litigation stress” because there is no question that filing a lawsuit is the plaintiff’s decision, and imposing additional damages on the defendant for defending against the plaintiff’s claims would impair the defendant’s right to defend itself. Second, once a lawsuit is instituted, the party becomes subject to the contentions of an opposing party and the rulings of a court, and the stress may be from the insurer’s counsel conduct of the case or even the court’s ruling, and not the insurer itself.
Date of Decision: May 7, 2014
Leporace v. N.Y. Life & Annuity Corp., CIVIL ACTION NO. 11-2000, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62911 (E.D.Pa. May 7, 2014) (Baylson, J.)
0 Responses to “MAY 2014 BAD FAITH CASES: ON MOTION IN LIMINE, COURT DECIDES: (1) PLAINTIFF’S INSURANCE CLAIM HANDLING EXPERT CANNOT TESTIFY ON MEDICAL ISSUES OR RESERVES; (2) EVIDENCE OF RESERVES NOT PROPER IN DISABILITY INSURANCE CLAIM; (3) PAST GENERAL CLAIMS HANDLING PRACTICES NOT ADMISSIBLE, BUT PRE-CLAIM EVIDENCE CONCERNING ACTUAL INSURED ADMISSIBLE; (4) PLAINTIFF CAN RECOVER FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS UNDER COMMON LAW CONTRACT BREACH OF DUTY OF GOOD FAITH; BUT (5) PLAINTIFF CANNOT RECOVER FOR “LITIGATION STRESS” EXPERIENCED IN THE BAD FAITH LITIGATION ITSELF (PHILADELPHIA FEDERAL)”