Opinion ID: 1719977
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Duty/Breach of Duty

Text: An insurance agent owes a duty to his principal to procure insurance policies with reasonable diligence and good faith. The duty owed is to provide the level of skill in procuring insurance reasonably expected of one in that profession. Taylor Machine Works, Inc. v. Great American Surplus Lines Insurance Co., 635 So.2d 1357, 1362 (Miss. 1994). The jury could have believed that, in his haste to collect a premium, Lovett did not exercise reasonable diligence in investigating Bradford's statement on previous fire loss. There is substantial evidence that Bradford disclosed the fire to Lovett. Lovett admitted that, if Bradford had made the statements which he claimed he made, then he would have needed to have done further investigation. Therefore, Lovett's argument with regard to this issue is without merit.