Opinion ID: 543179
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Safeco's Duty of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

Text: 20 Morton cites the recent decision of Judah v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 217 Cal.App.3d 1181, 266 Cal.Rptr. 455, 463 (1990), for the proposition that an insured can pursue a cause of action for tortious breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing even if it is determined that the policy did not provide coverage for the underlying loss. The district court had dismissed as moot Morton's bad faith claim, once it had determined that Safeco had no duty to indemnify Anderson. 21 Although Judah indicates that the bad faith claim was not necessarily rendered moot by the finding of no coverage, this conclusion does not affect the result in this case. Morton failed to provide any evidence that Safeco violated its obligation to act fairly and in good faith. Therefore, Judah does not alter the propriety of a grant of summary judgment against Morton.