[Download] "Edgar E. Odom v. Canal Insurance Company" by First District Court of Appeal of Florida # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Edgar E. Odom v. Canal Insurance Company
- Author : First District Court of Appeal of Florida
- Release Date : January 19, 1991
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 66 KB
Description
Edgar E. Odom, Jr. and William and Irene Millican, the plaintiffs below, appeal a final summary judgment entered in favor of Canal Insurance Company, the defendant below. Because we find that issues of fact preclude the entry of summary judgment in Canal's favor, we reverse. On July 19, 1983, William Millican was seriously injured when he was struck by a taxi operated by an agent of Edgar Odom, doing business as City Cab Company. Thereafter, Millican and his wife sued Odom, alleging that Millican's injuries were caused by the negligence of the taxi driver. Canal, Odom's liability insurer, investigated the claim and prepared to defend the suit. The Millicans offered to settle their claim against Odom for the policy limits of $10,000, but no settlement was reached because Canal's regional claims supervisor insisted upon including the United States as a co-payee on the settlement check. According to the supervisor, because the United States had furnished medical care to Millican, an officer of the United States Navy, the United States had a lien for the costs of the medical care it furnished pursuant to The Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C.A. ?? 2651-2653 (1973). Canal agreed to settle with the Millicans if the United States was made a co-payee on the settlement check or if they would agree to hold Canal harmless against any future claim which might be asserted by the United States for the costs of Millican's medical care. When negotiations failed, the case proceeded to a jury trial which resulted in a judgment in favor of the Millicans against Odom in the amount of $366,000, plus interest and costs. Sometime after the trial, Odom learned for the first time that the Millicans had offered to settle the case and that Canal had made a counteroffer.1{/Cite} Odom and the Millicans, his judgment creditors, then brought the instant bad faith claim against Canal. They alleged, inter alia, that Canal acted in bad faith when it (a) imposed an unreasonable condition upon its counteroffer, and (b) failed to advise Odom of settlement offers and negotiations and the possibility that an excess judgment might be entered against him. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment directed to the reasonableness of Canal's decision to condition its settlement offer upon the inclusion of the United States as a co-payee on the settlement check. The court concluded that Canal was entitled to so condition its settlement offer and granted its motion for summary judgment. This appeal followed.