Case Name: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY v. Joseph E. EARLEY
Court: Maine Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction: Maine
Decision Date: 1986-01-09
Citations: 502 A.2d 1047
Docket Number: 
Parties: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY v. Joseph E. EARLEY.
Judges: Before McKUSICK, C.J., and NICHOLS, ROBERTS, WATHEN, GLASSMAN and SCOLNIK, JJ.
Reporter: West's Atlantic Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 502
Pages: 1047–1047

Head Matter:
ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY v. Joseph E. EARLEY.
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.
Argued Nov. 8, 1985.
Decided Jan. 9, 1986.
Hewes, Beal & Douglas, Martica Sawin Douglas (orally), Portland, for plaintiff.
Zuckerman & Avaunt, Mary B. Devine (orally), Gray, for defendant.
Before McKUSICK, C.J., and NICHOLS, ROBERTS, WATHEN, GLASSMAN and SCOLNIK, JJ.

Opinion:
MEMORANDUM OF DECISION.
Joseph E. Earley appeals a decision of the Superior Court, Cumberland County, denying his claim for attorney fees incurred by Earley in his successful defense of a declaratory judgment action brought by his insurer, Allstate Insurance Company. Allstate sought to avoid any obligation to afford liability coverage to Earley in relation to a claim against him for personal injuries that resulted from a shooting. (For a description of the incident, see State v. Earley, 454 A.2d 341, 342-43 (Me.1983)). We have recently decided that in these circumstances the insured is not entitled to attorney fees unless the insurer's actions can be attributed to a "bad-faith refusal to honor its contract obligation to defend." Union Mutual Fire Insurance Co. v. Town of Topsham, 441 A.2d 1012, 1019 (Me.1982).
The entry is:
Judgment affirmed.
All concurring.