Opinion ID: 1846468
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Settlement Efforts and Discussions With Sockwell's Attorneys [5]

Text: After receiving notice of the lawsuit, Kathy West telephoned Mike Tanner, who was at that time one of Sockwell's attorneys. According to Tanner, Kathy West indicated that she had the lawsuit, that she had reviewed their file. And it appeared that the claim should have been paid. Tanner testified at trial that West inquired as to whether if she sent me the money for policy benefits, that would dispose of the case. Tanner indicated that his response to this inquiry was that he would have Grant Wright respond to her settlement offer but that he did not believe Sockwell would abandon her bad-faith claims. Wright telephoned West and indicated that Sockwell would accept $400,000 to settle her breach-of-contract and bad-faith claims. Wright testified at trial that West became very agitated and told him that if we did not take the policy limits, that she would drag this case out for as long as she could, that it would be three to four years before I ever saw her to take her deposition. And if we ever did get a judgment against her company, that she would appeal it for as far and long as she could. And it would be eight or nine years before my client ever saw the money. This testimony was presented to the jury. Tanner corroborated this testimony. He testified at trial that Wright came into his office immediately after his conversation with West and that Wright relayed the substance of that conversation to him as follows: He [Wright] went on to say that he had called [West] to make a settlement offer in the case, that he made the settlement offer, and that when he did, she became very angry. I believe his words were, `She lost it,' that she then told him that if that's the way he felt about it and Miss Sockwell felt about it, that it would be three or four years before she would ever seehe would ever see her face in a deposition. And it would be, if he was successful in getting a verdict at trial, they would appeal it, and it would beThey would appeal it as far as they could appeal it. And it would be eight or nine years before Ms. Sockwell ever saw any money in the case. And that she was sure that Ms. Sockwell probably needed the money, and that he ought to let her know how long it was going to be before she would see any if he insisted on proceeding with the lawsuit. The jury was allowed to hear this testimony. Kathy West admitted at trial that she did, in fact, say to Wright that Mrs. Sockwell could use the money now. Her explanation for this statement was that I didn't understand why he was not accepting to settle the underlying claim. And he flat refused to accept the policy limits. According to Wright, West offered only the $40,000 policy limits to Sockwell after the bad-faith claims were filed, and only if Sockwell would dismiss her lawsuit. West later added an additional $1,000 to the offer, but Wright testified that this offer was also contingent upon Sockwell's settling all of her claims against National. After these settlement discussions, National answered Sockwell's complaint, denying that it had breached the insurance contract, denying that it had acted in bad faith in denying Sockwell's claim, and denying that it had acted in bad faith in failing to properly evaluate Sockwell's claim.