Title: Barlow, et al. v. Finegan, et al.
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 468, 2012
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: May 6, 2013

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
ANGELA M. BARLOW, JOHN BARLOW, ) 
JR., wife and husband, and ANGELA M. 
) 
No. 468, 2012 
BARLOW, as Next Friend of JOHN 
) 
BARLOW, III, and DAWN LOCKE, as Next )  
Court Below:  Superior Court 
Friend of KIMBERLY FOTH, a minor, 
)  
of the State of Delaware, in  
 
Plaintiffs Below,  
) 
and for New Castle County 
 
Appellees as to Barlow, 
) 
C.A. No.: N11C-04-237 
 
 
) 
(Consolidated) 
v. 
 
) 
 
 
) 
MICHAEL P. FINEGAN, DANA M. 
) 
FINEGAN, and MICHAEL P. FINEGAN, 
) 
JR.,  
) 
 
Defendants Below, Appellees, 
) 
 
DAWN LOCKE, as Guardian Ad Litem of 
) 
KIMBERLY FOTH, 
) 
C.A. No.: N11C-09-105 
 
Plaintiff Below, Appellant, 
) 
 
 
) 
v. 
 
) 
 
 
) 
MICHAEL PATRICK FINEGAN and 
) 
MICHAEL P. FINEGAN, JR., 
) 
Defendants Below, Appellees, 
) 
 
TITAN INDEMNITY COMPANY, 
) 
 
Plaintiff Below, Appellee, 
) 
C.A. No.: N12C-03-013 
 
 
) 
v. 
 
) 
 
 
) 
DAWN LOCKE, as Next Friend of 
) 
KIMBERLY FOTH and ANGELA 
) 
BARLOW, as Next Friend of JOHN 
) 
BARLOW, III, 
) 
 
Defendants Below,  
) 
 
Appellants as to Foth. 
) 
 
 
2 
 
Submitted:  March 20, 2013 
Decided:  May 6, 2013 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND and JACOBS, Justices. 
 
O R D E R 
 
This 6th day of May 2013, upon consideration of the parties’ briefs, 
arguments, and the record on appeal, it appears to the Court that: 
1. 
Dawn Locke, on behalf of minor Appellant Kimberly Foth, 
(collectively Foth) appeals the Superior Court’s Order entering final judgment in 
favor of Foth and Appellee John Barlow III (John).1 
2. 
Appellee Angela Barlow (Angela) and minors Foth and John were 
injured in a car accident in 2009.  Angela, John, and John Barlow Jr. filed suit 
against the alleged tortfeasors in Superior Court,2 and Foth later filed a separate 
suit.  The alleged tortfeasors’3 insurer, Appellee Titan Indemnity Co., filed an 
interpleader action and tendered $30,000 to resolve all the plaintiffs’ personal 
injury claims. 
3. 
The parties agreed that Angela would receive $15,000 for her injuries 
and that the remaining $15,000 would be divided evenly between Foth and Barlow.  
                                          
 
1 Multiple parties have the surname Barlow, so this Order refers to them by their first names. 
2 Although the attorney who filed the first lawsuit also filed on behalf of Foth, he did not 
represent Foth and had no authority to file suit on Foth’s behalf. 
3 The alleged tortfeasors, Appellees Michael P. Finegan, Michael P. Finegan Jr., and Dana M. 
Finegan, joined in Angela, John, John Barlow Jr., and Titan Indemnity Co.’s Answering Brief. 
3 
 
After agreeing to the settlement, Foth’s counsel advised the other parties that his 
client would not approve the settlement until he had an opportunity to review 
John’s medical records to ensure the two minors had comparable injuries.  In 
response, John filed a motion to enforce the settlement agreement, arguing that 
Foth’s counsel had authority to settle the lawsuit. 
4. 
After argument on the motion to enforce the settlement, the Superior 
Court judge granted the motion, holding that “[i]t is presumed that a lawyer has 
authority to bind his client.”4  Although the trial judge stated he would refer the 
case to a judge for approval of a minor settlement,5 no hearing occurred.  The trial 
judge later entered a Final Judgment in favor of Foth and Barlow, who each 
received $7,500.  Foth appeals, claiming that the trial judge erred by refusing to 
allow Foth to present evidence that his counsel lacked authority to settle the 
litigation and by issuing an Order entering final judgment without holding a 
minors’ settlement hearing. 
5. 
We review legal questions de novo.6  Under Delaware law, no person 
dealing with the “receiver of a minor” can rely on the receiver’s authority to 
                                          
 
4 App. to Opening Br. A31. 
5 Id.  The trial judge repeated his intention to refer the matter to a commissioner for consideration 
of the minor settlement in his April 27, 2012 Order denying Foth’s Motion for Reargument. 
6 Crumplar v. Superior Court ex rel. New Castle Cnty., 56 A.3d 1000, 1005 (Del. 2012) (citing 
Plummer v. Sherman, 861 A.2d 1238, 1242 (Del. 2004)). 
4 
 
release claims or settle tort claims without first seeking court approval.7  The 
Superior Court Civil Rules further provide that “[a] petition to authorize settlement 
of a tort claim for a disabled person shall be accompanied by medical reports or 
other evidence satisfactory to the [c]ourt and, in the absence of such evidence, the 
[c]ourt may require oral testimony.”8 
6. 
The parties agree that no minors’ settlement hearing occurred.  Under 
12 Del. C. § 3926 and Superior Court Civil Rule 133(c), this court approval is 
required before the settlement can become final.  Therefore, the trial judge erred by 
issuing an Order entering final judgment and this matter must be remanded for the 
purpose of holding a minors’ settlement hearing for Foth and John.  The parties 
should present arguments concerning the proposed settlement’s relative fairness to 
the minors and evidence such as medical reports at the hearing.  We do not reach 
Foth’s argument regarding his attorney’s authority to settle the matter because, 
absent the minors’ settlement hearing, no final settlement occurred. 
 
                                          
 
7 12 Del. C. § 3926. 
8 Super. Ct. Civ. R. 133(c); see also Ct. Ch. R. 185(b) (describing parallel procedures for the 
settlement of an injured minor’s tort claim).  While the Superior Court Civil Rules use the term 
“disabled person,” it is beyond dispute that minors are legally disabled.  See Ward v. Ward, 537 
A.2d 1063, 1070 (Del. Fam. 1987). 
5 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the Superior Court’s Order 
entering final judgment is VACATED and this matter is REMANDED for further 
proceedings in accordance with this Order. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Myron T. Steele 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Justice