BRAINARD STONE AND BEULAH STONE, PETITIONERS,
v.
TRAVELERS INSURANCE COMPANY, RESPONDENT
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The Stones petitioned for writ of certiorari to review an order denying discovery of documents from Travelers Insurance's file in their bad faith action for failure to settle within policy limits. The court held that while all materials up to the judgment date must be produced, post-judgment documents are discoverable only upon a showing of good cause or court order after in camera inspection, and affirmed the trial court's exclusion of post-judgment documents that were found not material or relevant.
All materials in an insurance company's file up to and including the date of judgment in the original litigation must be produced in a bad faith action. Post-judgment documents and materials prepared between judgment and institution of the bad faith suit are subject to production only upon a showing of good cause or pursuant to court order following in camera inspection. The trial court did not err in excluding post-judgment documents found not material or relevant after in camera inspection.
[1] In a bad faith action against an insurance company for failure to settle a claim within policy limits, all materials in the insurance company's file up to and including t…
[2] A plaintiff-judgment creditor in a bad faith action against an insurer stands in the same posture as the insured and is entitled to discover all materials and documents i…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligence“It is clear that in an action for bad faith against an insurance company for failure to settle a claim within policy limits, all materials, including documents, memoranda and letters, contained in the insurance company's file, up to and including the date of judgment in the original litigation, should be produced.”
Establishes the core holding regarding mandatory production of pre-judgment materials in bad faith actions
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe Stones obtained a judgment for personal injuries exceeding Travelers Insurance's policy limits after Travelers allegedly failed to settle the clai…
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NATHAN, Judge.
This is a petition for writ of certiorari filed by the plaintiffs, Brainard Stone and Beulah Stone, for review of an order sustaining the objections of the defendant, Travelers Insurance Company, to a request for production in an action for bad faith in failing to settle a personal injury action within policy limits. As a result of failure to settle, the Stones obtained a judgment for damages for personal injuries in an amount exceeding the policy limits.
In this action for bad faith against Travelers, the plaintiffs requested production of Travelers’ complete file regarding the personal injury case. Objections were made, and the court ordered Travelers to produce all materials which it did not deem work product, with the remainder of the file to be presented to the court for an in camera determination as to discoverability. Subsequently, it was then ordered that the materials inspected by the court should not be produced. The plaintiffs moved for a list identifying all of the materials which had been excluded from production. A list was produced showing documents dated subsequent to final judgment in the original suit and prior to institution of this suit for bad faith. Plaintiffs then requested production of each document on the list. Travelers objected, the objections were sustained, and this petition for certiorari ensued.
Travelers contends that the documents are work product and thus privileged, but concedes that the matters are not subject to any other privilege. See Boston Old Colony Insurance Company v. Gutierrez, Fla.App., 325 So. 2d 416, opinion filed January 20, 1976. The plaintiffs contend that the materials cannot be work product because work product is defined as matters in preparation for trial whereas the documents sought to be discovered are mere business records and not in preparation for trial of the bad faith suit. It is clear that in an action for bad faith against an insurance company for failure to settle a claim within policy limits, all materials, including documents, memoranda and letters, contained in the insurance company’s file, up to and including the date of judgment in the original litigation, should be produced. We reach this holding because of the very nature of a bad faith action and the posture of the parties involved.
In defending personal injury litigation, an insurance company participates not only on behalf of itself, but also on behalf of its insured. Since the plaintiff-judgment creditor stands in the same posture as the insured,1 entitlement to all materials and documents up to and including the date of the judgment, is extended to him.
Memoranda, letters and all other documentation and materials in the file which were prepared between the time of judgment in the original action and institution of the bad faith suit, are subject to production upon a showing of good cause,2 or pursuant to an order of the court following an in camera inspection, if such inspection is ordered.
In the instant case, the request for production alleges good cause. However, following an in camera inspection by the trial court, it was determined that the documents between the date of judgment and commencement of the bad faith case, were not material or relevant. There being nothing in the record to show that they are material or relevant, we find that the trial court did not err in excluding them from production.
In cases such as this, where there has been an in camera inspection, a proper procedure to follow would be to move the trial court for an order transmitting, under seal to the appellate court, the documents which were inspected in camera, for appellate review.
Certiorari denied.
PEARSON, J., concurs in the decision to deny certiorari only.
. Boston Old Colony Insurance Company v. Gutierrez, supra.
. Rules 1.280 and 1.350, ROP.
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Citator
Cited By (23 total)
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Allstate Indem. Co. v. Ruiz, 899 So. 2d 1121 (Fla. 2005)…claim within policy limits, all materials, including documents, memoranda and letters, contained in the insurance company’s file, up to and including the date of judgment in the original litigation, should be produced. Stone v. Travelers Ins. Co., 326 So. 2d 241, 243 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976); see also United Servs. Auto. Ass’n v. Jennings, 731 So. 2d 1258, 1260 (Fla.1999); Dunn v. Nat’l Sec. Fire & Cas. Co., 631 So. 2d 1103, 1109 (Fla. 5th DCA 1993). This rule has been historically predicated on the fact that the…
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Dunn v. Nat'l Sec. Fire & Cas. Co., 631 So. 2d 1103 (Fla. 5th DCA 1993)…3 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982); Aaron v. Allstate Insurance Co., 559 So. 2d 275 (Fla. 4th DCA), rev. denied, 569 So. 2d 1278 (Fla.1990); Koken v. American Service Mutual Insurance Co., Inc., 330 So. 2d 805 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976); Stone v. Travelers Insurance Co., 326 So. 2d 241 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976). Additional memos or documents in the file after date of the judgment can be obtained with a showing of good cause. Stone v. Travelers Insurance Co. Discovery of the insurer’s claim file and litigation file is allowed in a bad fa…
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Hartford Accident & Indem. Co. v. U.S.C.P. Co., 515 So. 2d 998 (Fla. 4th DCA 1987)…ployees, agents, experts, adjusters or attorneys pertaining to the Hartford decision to deny coverage to USCP for any of the claims asserted, or damages recovered, in the Bould litigation. [Emphasis added]. In Stone v. Travelers Insurance Company, 326 So. 2d 241 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976) the district court concluded: It is clear that in an action for bad faith against an insurance company for failure to settle a claim within policy limits, all materials, including documents, memoranda and letters, contained in th…
Previewing 3 of 23 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Boston OLD Colony Ins. Co. v. Gutierrez, 325 So. 2d 416 (Fla. 3d DCA 1976)