Opinion ID: 879818
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: First-Party Insurance Bad Faith Claim

Text: Plaintiff Mr. Davis next assigns error to the directed verdict on his claim of first-party insurance bad faith. Mr. Davis asserts that since he was listed on the policy as an insured, he should be afforded a status such that the statutory duty Commercial Union owed to the Sheriffs was likewise owed to Mr. Davis. However, plaintiff's case fails both in evidence and by his conduct. Plaintiff failed to bring forth evidence of any specific statutory violations by Commercial and even failed to present evidence of general business practice. Additionally, Davis's conduct complicates his case. The only possible duty owed by Commercial to Davis would have been to provide a legal defense to Davis for the counterclaim and then indemnify if necessary in that suit. But the record clearly shows Davis retained his own counsel and at no time requested Commercial to defend. Thus, even though Commercial had knowledge of the suit pending, bad faith cannot be found for not providing what has not been requested. Likewise, we will not stretch the contractual fiduciary duty of an insurer to cover this situation where Davis made no claimant contact with Commercial, no request for defense, and no request for indemnity. The status argument has been treated by Davis as an afterthought. From the foregoing want of evidence to support any existing theory of bad faith, verdict was properly directed.