Insurance Failure To Pay (Bad Faith)
Bernhard v. Farmers Insurance
We received a verdict at trial for a woman who caused an accident who was subsequently sued. Farmers unreasonably failed to settle the claim against our client, resulting in a personal judgment against her. The case establishes appellate law that insurers could not make a late offer of policy limits and escape liability for their delay in settling. We were unsuccessful in convincing the Colorado Supreme Court that the insurance company should pay the attorney fees the insured has to spend to protect herself when an insurance company unreasonably fails to settle a case.
Montgomery v. St. Paul
We represented owners of a geodesic wood shake home damaged by a hail storm. The adjuster for St. Paul insurance did not properly inspect the damage and offered less than $10,000 for repairs. The case settled for $200,000 before trial.
