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Date: 10-23-2024
Case Style:
Chris Thorngren v. Zurich American Insurance Company
Case Number: 4:23-cv-00530
Judge: Mark T. Steele
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (Tulsa County)
Plaintiff's Attorney:
Defendant's Attorney: Virginia Cathcart Holleman
Description:
Tulsa, Oklahoma bad faith breach of insurance contract lawyer represented the Plaintiff.
Oklahoma law states that an insurance company acts in bad faith when it breaches its duty of good faith and fair dealing with its policyholder. To prove bad faith, the policyholder must show that the insurance company:
Unreasonably refused to pay the claim
Failed to investigate or evaluate the claim properly
Had no reasonable basis for refusing the claim
Failed to act fairly and in good faith
Caused damages to the policyholder by breaching its duty of good faith and fair dealing
Some examples of bad faith include:
Withholding or misrepresenting information
Altering a policy without the policyholder's consent
Failing to defend the policyholder in a lawsuit
Canceling the policy because the policyholder made a claim
Delaying payment
Offering an unfairly low settlement
If the policyholder wins a bad faith claim, they may be awarded compensatory and punitive damages. Punitive damages are additional compensation to punish the insurance company and deter similar conduct. In Oklahoma, punitive damages are capped at $100,000 or the amount of compensatory damages awarded, whichever is greater.
Policyholders may want to consult with an insurance bad faith attorney if they believe their insurance company is acting in bad faith
Outcome: 10/23/2024 34 ORDER by Magistrate Judge Mark T Steele (Joint Stipulation of Dismissal due by November 22, 2024), administratively closing the case (terminates case) (ll, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 10/23/2024)
10/23/2024 ***Civil Case Terminated (see document number 34 ) (dla, Dpty Clk) (Entered: 10/23/2024)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: