Bailey v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co

Citations

• 2018 COA 133
• 429 P.3d 109

Syllabus

Plaintiff was in a car accident and sued the other driver for negligence and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. for underinsured motorist (UIM) benefits. Plaintiff's policy covered him up to $100,000 for damages caused by underinsured motorists. The other driver's insurance company covered him for $100,000 in damages and also agreed to pay the full extent of a jury's verdict. At trial, State Farm presented evidence that plaintiff had not cooperated with claims adjusters and had committed fraud, and therefore plaintiff voided the insurance contract and he was not entitled to UIM benefits. The jury rejected State Farm's affirmative defenses of fraud and failure to cooperate and awarded plaintiff $300,000 in damages. State Farm moved for entry of judgment based on a letter from the other driver's insurance company that effectively provided unlimited liability insurance coverage for him. State Farm argued that because there was no difference between the coverage limit and the amount of damages, plaintiff was not entitled to UIM benefits. The other driver did not object. The trial court granted the motion and the other driver's insurance company paid the entire judgment. On appeal, plaintiff argued that it was error to grant State Farm's motion for entry of judgment. Plaintiff contended that the trial court should not have considered the merits of State Farm's motion because the motion raised an affirmative defense that State Farm waived by not presenting before trial. An affirmative defense must be in the nature of a confession and avoidance. Here, State Farm did not contend that it owed UIM benefits but could avoid its obligation to pay them for some other reason rather, the motion asserted that it did not owe benefits at all. State Farm's motion did not raise an affirmative defense. The motion was properly made and the trial court did not err by entertaining it. Plaintiff also contended that under the plain language of CRS § 10-4-609, State Farm is required to