Introduction Earlier this year, the Nevada Supreme Court issued a significant decision for insurers, policyholders, and coverage counsel in North River Insurance Company v. James River Insurance Company[1]. In a matter of first impression, the Court held that an excess …
In Scobee v. USAA Casualty Insurance Co., 168 F.4th 507 (8th Cir. 2026), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a split decision on whether a rational factfinder would find an insurer’s conduct outrageous and in …
On February 15, 2022, the United States Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the Southern District of Florida’s summary judgment victory for GEICO, finding that no reasonable jury could conclude that GEICO had operated in bad faith with …
Eleventh Circuit (Florida): No Bad Faith for Investigating Claim Read more →
Mississippi essentially has three levels of claim when insurance is at issue: (1) mere breach of contract, allowing recovery of contract damages; (2) breach of contract + no arguable basis for breach, which entitles recovery of consequential damages; and (3) …
Fifth Circuit Provides Road Map for Review and Trial of Bad Faith Claims in Mississippi Read more →
Georgia has a very specific law called “Holt demands” concerning time-limited demands made against a liability insurance policy. In Southern General Ins. Co. v. Holt, 262 Ga. 267, 416 S.E.2d 274 (1992), the Georgia Supreme Court held that where the …
The recent California decision Barickman v. Mercury Casualty Company, 2016 WL 3975279, (Calif. App. – July 25, 2016), previously reported in Cozen’s bad faith blog on July 28, 2016, is worth revisiting on a bigger picture issue. Low policy limit …
POLICY LIMIT DEMANDS + QUIRKY LEGAL ISSUES = CALL LAWYER Read more →
In a recent unpublished decision, the California Court of Appeals upheld a $3 million judgment against an auto liability insurer that rejected proposed language in a settlement agreement, notwithstanding the insurer’s policy limits offer. Barickman v. Mercury Opinion, 2016 WL …
When a Policy Limits Offer is Not Enough: A Cautionary Tale of a Failure to Settle Case Read more →