{"id":902119,"date":"2024-01-12T10:03:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=902119"},"modified":"2024-01-12T10:04:33","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:04:33","slug":"bad-faith-lawsuit-survives-even-though-policy-limits-paid-and-damage-wasnt-covered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/bad-faith-lawsuit-survives-even-though-policy-limits-paid-and-damage-wasnt-covered\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Faith Lawsuit Survives Even Though Policy Limits Paid and Damage Wasn\u2019t Covered"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jim Sams | Claims Journal<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just because an insurer paid the full policy limits on a claim, and argues that the damages weren\u2019t even covered, doesn\u2019t mean it can escape a bad faith lawsuit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A panel of the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal reversed<\/a> a Palm Beach County judge\u2019s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a homeowner who had to wait more than three years to receive full compensation for the damages. Homeowner Susan Cingari says she was forced to file a lawsuit against First Protective Insurance Co. to compel an appraisal even though the insurer didn\u2019t dispute, at least initially, that coverage was owed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Protective said the payments it made were \u201cgratuitous\u201d because the damage to Cingari\u2019s home was caused by a sinkhole, a peril excluded by its policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNotably, the insurer\u2019s statements that it \u2018proceeded under an erroneous policy interpretation\u2019 in the umpire appointment suit and \u2018gratuitously\u2019 paid the policy limits and appraisal award certainly raise an inference that the insurer did not properly investigate the claim,\u201d the panel\u2019s opinion says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigari filed a claim with First Protective after her home in Boca Raton was damaged by a sinkhole in 2015. Over the course of a year, the insurer made two payments totaling $59,456, but Cigara said that wasn\u2019t enough. She filed a lawsuit in the 15th Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County that sought to compel an appraisal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The insurer said its claim investigation was delayed because the Waterside at Boca Trail Community Association refused to allow its adjuster access to Cigari\u2019s property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, an umpire awarded Cigari $304,620.35. First Protective paid, but the bad faith lawsuit continued to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Protective argued that it did not learn until after it paid the full policy limits that the damage to Cigari\u2019s home was caused by an excluded peril. Judge Joseph Curley said in his findings that experts on both sides agreed that damage to Cigari\u2019s home was caused by earth movement. On Aug. 3, 2022, Curley granted First Protective\u2019s motion for summary judgment and dismissed the bad faith suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cigari appealed. She argued that First Protective was not entitled to summary judgment because it never obtained a ruling on its motion to amend its answer in the bad faith suit to assert that no coverage was owed under the policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 4th District panel said insurers are required by Florida statutes to properly and promptly investigate claims, including the cause of the damage. First Protective\u2019s statement that it \u201cgratuitously\u201d paid Cigari \u201ccertainly raises an inference that the insurer did not properly investigate the claim,\u201d the opinion says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appellate court reversed the trial court\u2019s decision and remanded the case for further proceedings. The panel also granted a motion by Cigari that requires the insurer to pay her attorney fees, although one of the members of the three-judge panel dissented in that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

When one of your cases is in need of a construction expert, estimates, insurance appraisal or umpire services in defect or insurance disputes – please call Advise & Consult, Inc. at 888.684.8305, or email experts@adviseandconsult.net<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jim Sams | Claims Journal Just because an insurer paid the full policy limits on a claim, and argues that the damages weren\u2019t even covered, doesn\u2019t mean it can escape a bad faith lawsuit. A panel of the Florida 4th District Court of Appeal reversed a Palm Beach County judge\u2019s decision to dismiss a lawsuit filed by… Continue reading Bad Faith Lawsuit Survives Even Though Policy Limits Paid and Damage Wasn\u2019t Covered<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-902119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nBad Faith Lawsuit Survives Even Though Policy Limits Paid and Damage Wasn\u2019t Covered - 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