Opinion ID: 2794540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: statement of the case: the lawsuit

Text: On 16 December 2010,2 Robert and Linda Connors filed in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County a Complaint for Declaratory Judgment against GEICO, together with a motion for summary judgment. GEICO filed initially a motion to dismiss, which was denied summarily. GEICO filed then an answer, a cross-motion for summary judgment, and opposition to the Connors’ motion for summary judgment.3 The Circuit Court heard on 5 May 2011 arguments from all parties and ruled from the bench as to the pending motions and the Complaint. The trial judge agreed with GEICO’s interpretation of the policy, and determined that the Plaintiffs should recover only $100,000 from GEICO. 2 Before the declaratory judgment action, the Connors filed a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration (“MIA”) against GEICO, pursuant to Maryland Code (1997, 2011 Repl. Vol.), Insurance Article, § 27-1001, alleging that GEICO failed to act in good faith in addressing their claim. On 22 June 2010, the MIA issued a decision in favor of GEICO, finding that GEICO did not fail to act in good faith in determining the value of the claim. The Connors did not seek judicial review of the MIA’s decision. 3 Following the death of Robert Connors, the Plaintiffs filed on 15 March 2011 a Notice of Substitution of Party naming Linda Connors as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert Connors. We shall continue to refer to the “Connors,” “Plaintiffs,” and “Petitioners” in the plural, as two separate claims for uninsured motorist benefits are asserted. 3 In an Order entered on 3 June 2011, the trial judge granted GEICO’s cross-motion for summary judgment and denied the Connors’ motion for summary judgment. In a Declaratory Judgment entered on 6 June 2011, the trial judge determined that (1) the Plaintiffs were insured under the GEICO policy and were entitled to collect UIM benefits under the policy; (2) the GEICO policy was not ambiguous and GEICO was obligated under the policy to pay the Connors $100,000 together in satisfaction of their claims; and (3) GEICO’s remaining UIM obligation: is calculated by taking its $300,000 “per accident” limit under the GEICO Policy and subtracting all amounts received by Robert and Linda Connors that exhausted the tortfeasor’s liability limits, which in this instance was $200,000. GEICO’s remaining UIM obligation to Robert and Linda Connors is to fill the “gap” between what Robert and Linda Connors could have recovered from the tortfeasor had the tortfeasor maintained identical liability coverage to the coverage Robert Connors purchased under the GEICO Policy. That “gap” is $100,000 which, as noted, has been paid. On 9 June 2011, the Petitioners filed a Notice of Appeal. The Court of Special Appeals, in a reported opinion, affirmed the judgment of the trial court. Connors v. Government Employees Insurance Co., 216 Md. App. 418, 421, 88 A.3d 162, 164 (2014). Petitioners filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari, which we granted on 18 July 2014. In their Petition, they asked us to consider the following question solely: Do the underinsured motorist provisions of GEICO’s insurance contract provide the Petitioners, Linda Connors Individually and Linda Connors as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert Connors, a limit of underinsured coverage of $300,000 each, subject to an aggregate payment to all Petitioners’ claims by GEICO not to exceed $300,000? Connors v. Government Employees Insurance Co., 439 Md. 327, 96 A.3d 143 (2014). 4