Sutton Booker P.C. obtained summary judgment in favor of an insurance carrier on a plaintiff’s claim for bad faith and unreasonable delay of a claim for UIM benefits. The plaintiff filed suit less than 60 days after submitting a request for UIM claim evaluation from the carrier, during which time the insurer evaluated the claim, requested additional information, and made a compromise settlement offer. The plaintiff argued that the carrier was unreasonable for failing to evaluate the claim within the 20-day time frame the insured had requested, and that the carrier unreasonably denied payment of its settlement offer. The Court rejected these theories, observing that the plaintiff failed to establish evidence of any industry standard violated by the carrier for failure to comply with the plaintiff’s requested deadline. The Court also rejected the argument that the carrier was obligated to advance its settlement offer, observing that Colorado law does not impose such a duty.
