DONALD GRAY AND ELIZABETH GRAY, HIS WIFE, APPELLANTS,
v.
STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, APPELLEE

Fla. 2d DCA | 1999-05-05
No. 98-02106
THREADGILL, A.C.J., and GREEN, J., Concur.
734 So. 2d 1102 Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District (1999) Positive Treatment
Cited by 4 cases

AI-generated. These summaries, headnotes, and key points are machine-generated and may contain errors or omissions. Always verify against the full opinion text below. Not legal advice.

Synopsis

The Grays sought underinsured motorist benefits from State Farm but failed to provide written notice of their settlement with the tortfeasor or obtain State Farm's prior written consent as required by policy and statute. The trial court granted State Farm's summary judgment motion, but the appellate court reversed, finding disputed issues of material fact regarding whether State Farm waived the settlement provisions through its conduct at mediation and whether State Farm suffered actual prejudice.


Holding

Summary judgment was improper because disputed issues of material fact exist regarding whether State Farm waived the settlement provisions through its conduct and whether State Farm was actually prejudiced by the Grays' failure to comply with the statutory notification requirement. The case must be remanded for trial to resolve these factual disputes.


Headnotes

[1] An insurer's presence at a mediation conference where a settlement is reached may constitute a waiver of the policy's settlement notice and consent provisions, precluding…

[2] The statutory requirement for an insured to provide written notice to an underinsured motorist insurer of a proposed settlement with a tortfeasor creates only a rebuttabl…

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Key Quotes

“Under Florida law, violation of the settlement provision voids the insurance coverage unless the insured shows that the insurer waived the settlement procedure, see Moskowitz v. State Farm, Mut Auto. Ins. Co., 646 So.2d 262 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994), or conclusively overcomes the presumption of prejudice to the insurer”

Establishes the legal standard for when a violation of settlement notification requirements can be excused

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Facts & Procedural History

Following an automobile accident, the Grays filed suit against the tortfeasor Randall White and vehicle owner Deborah White. A mediation conference wa…

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Opinion of the Court
BLUE, Judge.

BLUE, Judge.

Donald and Elizabeth Gray appeal the final summary judgment in favor of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company on their claim for underinsured mo torist (UM) benefits. We reject without discussion the Grays’ contention that summary judgment was improper because State Farm had breached the insurance policy. However, we agree with the Grays that the trial court erroneously entered summary judgment because of disputed issues of material fact. Accordingly, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

Following an automobile accident, the Grays filed suit against Randall White, the alleged tortfeasor, and Deborah White, the owner of the vehicle driven by Randall. The Grays subsequently filed an amended complaint including a claim against their UM insurer, State Farm. A mediation was held on October 27, 1997, at which representatives of all parties, as well as the Whites’ insurance company, Allstate Insurance Company, were present. A settlement for less than the policy limits was reached between the Grays and the Whites.1 Approximately nine days later, settlement documents were executed between the Grays and the Whites and Allstate.

State Farm then moved for summary judgment, arguing that the Grays’ UM claim was barred by their failure to provide written notice to State Farm of their proposed settlement with the tortfeasor and their failure to obtain State Farm’s prior written consent to the settlement as required by the insurance policy and section 627.727(6)(a), Florida Statutes (1993). The motion was eventually granted and final judgment entered against the Grays.

There is no dispute that the Grays failed to provide thirty days written notice and to obtain State Farm’s written consent prior to the settlement. Under Florida law, violation of the settlement provision voids the insurance coverage unless the insured shows that the insurer waived the settlement procedure, see Moskowitz v. State Farm, Mut Auto. Ins. Co., 646 So. 2d 262 (Fla. 2d DCA 1994), or conclusively overcomes the presumption of prejudice to the insurer, see General Accident Ins. Co. of Am. v. Taplis, 493 So. 2d 32 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986). The Grays contend that State Farm waived the settlement provisions by its conduct at the mediation conference. The affidavits filed by the parties reflect a disputed issue of material fact precluding summary judgment because State Farm was present at the mediation and indeed had actual notice of the settlement. The Grays contend that because State Farm was at the mediation and knew about the settlement, it waived the settlement provisions by failing to object. This disputed issue, if resolved in the Grays’ favor, would excuse their failure to comply with the statute.

Additionally, even if the settlement provision was violated by the Grays, there is an issue of fact as to whether State Farm was prejudiced. The written notification requirement of section 627.727(6) creates only a rebuttable presumption of, prejudice to the insurance company. See Moskowitz; Perry v. Munger, 730 So. 2d 393 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999). If the insurer shows that the insured did not comply with the statute, then the insured may show that the failure to obtain the consent to settle did not prejudice the insurer. However, again, the affidavits filed by the parties place the fact of actual prejudice in dispute.

Accordingly, the final summary judgment is reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings.

THREADGILL, A.C.J., and GREEN, J., Concur. . A settlement for less than policy limits does not vitiate the Grays’ underinsured motorist claim. Any recovery from the insurer would be reduced by the policy limits rather than by the amount actually received from the tortfeasor.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Mercury Ins. Co. OF Fla. v. Kiril Anatkov, 929 So. 2d 624 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)
    …in Anatkov’s favor, see § 627.727(6)(a), Fla. Stat. (2003) (requiring an injured claimant to notify the claimant’s insurer of a proposed settlement where settlement will not fully satisfy the claim); see also Gray v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 734 So. 2d 1102, 1103 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999) (concluding that the failure to notify the insurer of a proposed settlement voids UM/UIM coverage unless the insured demonstrates waiver of the notification procedure or lack of prejudice on the insurer’s part); and (2) that…
  • Muth v. AIU Ins. Co., 982 So. 2d 749 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)
    …ut notice to Defendant AI[U] Insurance Company, the uninsured/under-insured motorist carrier. It is also noted that Plaintiff produced no evidence to overcome the presumption of prejudice to Defendant AI[U] Insurance Company (see Gray v. State Farm, 734 So. 2d 1102 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999)). Plaintiffs proffer that further discovery might show lack of prejudice was unsupported by any competent, admissible evidence. Further, the court finds the Motion was served November 9, 2006, the Notice of Hearing was served Janu…
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