NO BAD FAITH WHERE (1) NO COVERAGE DUE, (2) ALLEGED BAD FAITH COMMUNICATIONS WITH CLIENT WERE EITHER IMMATERIAL OR ACCURATE, AND (3) ANY OMISSIONS IN THOSE COMMUNICATIONS ONLY AMOUNTED TO NEGLIGENCE AT MOST, NOT BAD FAITH (Western District)
The insured brings this breach of contract and bad faith case based on the insurer’s denying virtually all of her water damage claim, and its allegedly improper claim handling in communications to the insured. Western District Magistrate Judge Dodge grants the insurer’s motion to dismiss, but with leave to file an amended complaint.
First, the court dismissed the breach of contract claim. Magistrate Judge Dodge found there was no coverage for the claims pleaded because the damages specifically alleged, when compared to the clear policy language, were not insured losses. There was, however, enough ambiguity in the plaintiff’s allegation that she suffered “resulting damages”, to allow the insured to amend if she could identify any other forms of damages that might be covered under the policy.
As to the bad faith claim, Magistrate Judge Dodge first observed that her contract ruling explained how the coverage denial was proper. Further, “[t]he bad faith claim does not refer to any circumstances other than [plaintiff’s] contention that [the insurer] failed to communicate all of the policy language to her in one of its letters.” This was of no moment. The policy exclusion language omitted in the letter was irrelevant because the insurer did not rely on the omitted exclusion in denying coverage.
The insured alleged that the insurer also omitted a distinct important policy provision in correspondence to the insured. This was belied, however, by the correspondence itself. The purportedly omitted provision actually was included in the letter. Moreover, even if the omission occurred, this amounted at most to negligence, mistake, or poor judgment, none of which makes out an actionable bad faith claim.
Thus, the motion to dismiss the bad faith claim was granted, but without prejudice.
Date of Decision: March 19, 2021
Blanton v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania Civil Action No. 20-1534, 2021 WL 1060661 (W.D. Pa. Mar. 19, 2021) (Dodge, M.J.)
Our thanks to the insurer’s counsel, Mark A. Martini, of Robb Leonard Mulvihill LLP, for bringing this case to our attention.
