FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
DAVID V. SCOTT EDWARD J. LIPTAK
New Albany, Indiana JEREMY M. DILTS
Bloomington, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
BERNARD W. HOPPER and )
RETTIE HOPPER, )
)
Appellants-Plaintiffs, )
)
vs. ) No. 72A01-0308-CV-315
ROY CAREY and CONTINENTAL )
WESTERN INSURANCE CO., )
)
)
Appellees-Defendants. )
APPEAL FROM THE SCOTT CIRCUIT COURT
The Honorable James D. Kleopfer, Judge
Cause No. 72C01-9509-CT-109
JUNE 25, 2004
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
RATLIFF, Senior Judge
Appellants App. p. 40. Continental argued that under the holding of Grain
Dealers Mut. Ins. Co. v. Wuethrich, 716 N.E.2d 596 (Ind. Ct. App.
1999), Continental was not liable for any uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage because of
the Hoppers recovery from S & S.
The UIM coverage provision in Continentals policy with the Johnson Township Fire Department
reads in relevant part as follows:
A. COVERAGE
1. We will pay all sums the insured is legally entitled to
recover as compensatory damages from the owner or driver of an uninsured motor
vehicle or an underinsured motor vehicle.
Appellants App. p. 220-221. This endorsement provided up to $500,000.00 in coverage
per accident.
In Grain Dealers Mut. Ins. Co. v. Wuethrich, 716 N.E.2d 596 (Ind. Ct.
App. 1999), the insured incurred severe physical injuries while sitting in her car
when her car was struck while it was stopped in a line of
traffic resulting from construction and roadwork. The parties stipulated that the insureds
injuries exceeded the tortfeasors policy limits, as well as the insureds UIM limits
of $100,000.00. At issue was whether the insurer should be able to
set-off from the UIM limits amounts that the insured had received from other
sources, namely those involved in controlling the traffic flow and signage related to
the construction and roadwork. That amount was $150,001.00. Both parties stipulated
that the insurer would not be further obligated under the UIM coverage if
the set-off were allowed. The limitation of liability portion of the insurers
policy read in relevant part as follows:
The limit of liability shall be reduced by all sums paid because of
the bodily injury or property damage by or on behalf of persons or
organizations who may be legally responsible.
Id. at 599.
A panel of this court held that there was no limitation by statute
or by insurance policy language that set-off amounts were restricted to recovery from
motorist tortfeasors. Id. The panel noted that the plain language of
the policy allowed for a reduction of the insurers liability for UIM benefits
for all sums paid. Id.
The language in Continentals policy is very similar to the limitation of liability
language in Grain Dealers. The trial court correctly determined that Continental was
allowed to reduce its liability under the UIM benefits covering Hopper by the
amount Hopper received from S & S. That reduction removed any liability
Continental would have had under the UIM provision of the policy. Therefore,
the trial court was correct in granting Continentals motion for summary judgment.
The Hoppers, however, argue that the motion for summary judgment did not extinguish
a claim they have against Continental for bad faith and unfair dealing relating
to the handling of this claim. The Hoppers contend that Continental should
not have been able to avoid its obligation under the terms of the
insurance policy by waiting since 1995 until the Hoppers recovery from other sources
exceeded Continentals liability.
The Hoppers cite to our supreme courts opinion in Erie Insurance Company v.
Hickman, 622 N.E.2d 515, 520 (Ind. 1993) for the proposition that an insured
who believes that an insurance claim has been wrongly denied may have an
action in contract and an action in tort. In that case, our
supreme court recognized that there is a cause of action for the tortious
breach of an insurers duty to deal with its insured in good faith.
Id. at 519.
The Hoppers claim that Continentals motion for summary judgment only involves the action
in contract; therefore, the Hoppers claim against Continental for bad faith survives.
The Hoppers claim that notice to Continental of its claim for breach of
contract was notice of its bad faith claim. However, as Continental points
out, the Hoppers amended complaint does not state a claim against Continental for
bad faith.
In the present case, there were no facts before the trial court regarding
a claim for bad faith. The Hoppers filed a motion for leave
to amend their complaint to include such a claim the very day of
the hearing on Continentals motion for summary judgment. Therefore, there was no
bad faith claim pending before the trial court in this cause of action.
The trial courts order disposes of the only remaining pending claim in
that cause of action.
An insurance company has a duty to deal with its insured in good
faith, and the breach of that duty allows for a cause of action
in tort. Id. Insurance companies may, in good faith, dispute claims.
Id. at 520. In the present case, the Hoppers bad faith
claim is based upon alleged unreasonable delay.
There were significant factual discrepancies regarding the issue of fault on the part
of Carey. The question of Careys fault and/or liability is still in
dispute. The delay could be attributed to the necessity of determining the
degree of liability of the various parties. Indeed, whether Carey was an
uninsured/underinsured motorist liable for Hoppers injuries was not undisputed, and had not been
determined. Under such circumstances we do not believe Continental can be held
to have been acting in bad faith in delaying action on Hoppers claim
for uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits. For there to have been recovery under the
uninsured/underinsured motorist provision, Carey must have been at fault and liable for Hoppers
injuries. Continental had the right to await the determination of whether or
not Carey was at fault before being called upon to pay the uninsured/underinsured
motorist claim, as there may not have been an uninsured motorist.
Furthermore, the Hoppers have not suffered tort damages for the alleged bad faith
claim. The most the Hoppers could have recovered from Continental was $500,000.00.
The Hoppers recovered $750,000.00 from S & S. Our supreme court
noted in Erie that in most instances tort damages for the breach of
duty to exercise good faith would likely be coterminous with those recoverable in
a breach of contract action. Id. at 519. Therefore, the Hoppers
have no bad faith claim.