Opinion ID: 169059
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: EMCASCO's Conduct Prior to August 20, 2001

Text: 52 We have no hesitation in affirming the district court's judgment in favor of EMCASCO with regard to the period between May 1 and August 20, 2001. This conclusion appears especially proper in light of the Kansas Supreme Court's pronouncement that [t]he strength of the plaintiff's case must be gauged as it appeared at the time the offer was refused. Id. at 502. During this time period, with one possible exception, none of the pertinent Bollinger factors suggests that EMCASCO breached its duty. The strength of the injured claimant's case was a matter of good faith dispute, both as to liability and as to amount of damages; EMCASCO reasonably relied on opposing counsel's offer to send medical records, and otherwise was properly investigating the circumstances of the accident; the insurer had received no contrary advice from its attorney or agent; and the amount of financial risk to which each party would be exposed in the event of a refusal to settle was unknown. See Bollinger, 449 P.2d at 512. The Plaintiff bears much of the responsibility for EMCASCO's lack of information regarding Mr. Nguyen's injuries, because Plaintiff's counsel promised to provide EMCASCO Mr. Nguyen's medical records, yet provided only some of them. 53 The possible exception involves EMCASCO's apparent failure to inform Mr. Wade of the plaintiff's settlement offer. At this point in time, however, Mr. Wade was insistent that he was not responsible for the accident, he was not yet represented by counsel, and there is no evidence to suggest that failure to inform him affected the course of the litigation. On or about August 7, David Cooper was engaged as Mr. Wade's lawyer, and he immediately communicated with plaintiff's counsel on Mr. Wade's behalf. There is no evidence that, after Mr. Cooper became Mr. Wade's lawyer, he failed to keep Mr. Wade fully abreast of settlement negotiations. 54 Although no two cases are identical, as of August 20, 2001, this case is remarkably similar to Glenn, Covill, and Williams. In each of those cases, the plaintiff placed a deadline on a settlement offer while failing to comply with a promise to provide relevant medical records. In each case, the court concluded that the insurer had not breached its duty to the insured by not accepting the offer, despite subsequent excess judgments. We are confident that the Kansas Supreme Court would reach the same conclusion here.