# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Dela in e Pet ers en
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el la nt

v.

St at e Far m

Mu tu al Aut om ob il e In su ran ce Co m pa ny
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l

Defe nd an t - Ap pe ll ee

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa - Des M oi ne s

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

17 , 20 19 Fil ed : Fe br ua ry

7, 2 01 9 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re GRUENDER, W OLLMAN, and SHEPHERD, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.Dela in e Pet ers en ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s di sm is sa l of hi s a c t io n ag ai ns t 1 St at e Farm Mu tu al Aut om ob il e In su ran ce Co m pa ny (St at e Farm ) fo r m on ey al le ge dl y du e u nd er an in su ran ce p ol ic y is su ed by Stat e Far m

an d c ov eri ng hi s m ot or cy cl e.

In Apr il 20 14 , Pet ers en , a res id en t of Carr ol l Cou nt y , Io wa, so ug ht in su ran ce fo r a cu st om -b ui lt m ot or cy cl e. Bec au se he ha d de vo te d si gn ifi can t ti m e an d pe rs on al

ex pe ns e to co ns tru ct in g th e ve hi cl e, he va lu ed th e m ot or c yc l e at $3 5,0 00 an d req ue st ed in su ran ce th at wo u ld pa y th at am ou nt in th e ev en t of to ta l lo ss

. Kirk Hue hn , a St at e Farm in su ra n c e ag en t, as su red Pet ers en th at he co ul d pr ov id e an ap pr op ria te po li cy

. St at e Farm su bs eq ue nt ly is su ed Pet ers en an in su ran ce po li cy fo r th e pe rio d of Apr il 24 , 20 14 to Apr il 24 , 20 15 co ve rin g Pet ers en ’s m ot or cy cl e fo r lo ss

or da m ag e u p t o $ 35 ,00 0. The p ol ic y ex pr es sl y

pro vi de d t ha t “ le ga l ac ti on rel at in g to [p hysic al da m ag e] co ve rag es ” ag ai ns t St at e Farm m us t be br ou gh t “ wit hi n on e y ear im m ed ia te ly foll owi ng th e d at e o f th e acc id en t o r lo ss .” Dis t. Ct . Dkt . 3-2 at 3 5.

In Apr il 20 15 , an in ci de nt cau se d a to ta l lo ss of t h e m ot or cy cl e. Pet ers en

so ug ht th e $3 5,0 00 po li cy li m it fro m St at e Farm , bu t St at e Farm de ni ed th e cl a i m

. In Sep te m

be r 20 16 , Pet ers en su e d S ta te Farm in th e Io wa Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r Po lk Co un ty, al le gi ng th e co m

pa ny ha d frau du le nt ly or de cei tfu ll y fai le d to pa y hi m un de r hi s po li cy

. In Feb ru ary 20 18 , Pet ers en vo lu nt ari ly di sm is se d th e cas e wit ho ut p r e ju di ce. The ne xt m on th , he refi le d hi s cl ai m in th e Po lk Co un ty di st ric t co ur t , al le gi ng Sta te Farm

ha d d en ie d co ve rag e in ba d fai th

. He di d no t n am e Hue hn as a pa rty. St at e Farm , an Ill in oi s co rp or at io n, rem ov ed th e cas e to th e U n i t e d St at es Dis tri ct Co ur t fo r th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of Io wa ba se d on d i v e r s i t y juri sd ic ti on

. It th en fil ed a m ot io n to di sm is s th e co m pl ai nt fo r fai lu re to st at e a cl ai m un de r Fed

. R. Ci v. P. 12 (b )(6 ), as se rti ng th at th e act io n on th e po li cy is ba rred by th e po li cy ’s on ey ear li m it at io n pr ov is io n. The di st ric t co ur t gr an te d th e m ot io n. The di st ric t c ou rt

The Hon or ab le Reb ecca Goo dg am e Ebi ng er, Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r 1 th e So ut he rn Dis tri ct of I owa

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-he ld th at Pet ers en ’s act io n is on e fo r br each of th e in su ran ce po li cy co nt ract by fai li ng

to pa y th e am ou nt owi ng un de r th e po li cy an d th us is ba rred by th e po li cy ’s on e-year ti m e li m it for bri ng in g l eg al act io n.

Hav in g juri sd ic ti on pu rs ua nt to 28 U.S.C. § 12 91 an d care fu ll y co ns id eri ng th e

reco r d be fo re us , we fin d no rev ers ib le erro r in th e di st ric t co ur t’s or de r. W e th eref or e aff irm th e jud gm en t o f th e d is tri ct co ur t. See 8t h C ir. R . 47 B.

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