Spirtos v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.

Full title: EVANGELIA SPIRTOS, Plaintiff, v. STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE…

Court: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TAMPA DIVISION

Date published: Sep 3, 2014

CASE NO. 8:13-CV-2445-T-17TGW (M.D. Fla. Sep. 3, 2014)

Opinion

CASE NO. 8:13-CV-2445-T-17TGW

09-03-2014

EVANGELIA SPIRTOS, Plaintiff, v. STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, etc., Defendant.

ELIZABETH A. KOVA CHEVICH UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

ORDER

This cause is before the Court on:

Dkt. 6 Motion to Dismiss Count II
Dkt. 12 Response

The Complaint in this case includes Count I, a first party claim for UM benefits, and Count II, an insurance bad faith claim brought pursuant to Section 624.155, and Section 626.9541, Florida Statutes .

The Court has the discretion to abate or dismiss a bad faith claim when it is pled concurrently with a coverage action. See GEICO Gen. Ins. Co. v. Harvey, 109 So.3d 236, 239 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2013). After consideration, the Court dismisses Count II as premature, without prejudice. See Safeco Ins. Co. of Illinois v. Fridman, 117 So.3d 16, 19 (Fla. 5^th DCA 2013); Government Employees Ins. Co. v. King, 68 So.3d 267, 270 n. 3 (Fla. 2d DCA 2011)(en banc); Vest v. Travelers Ins. Co., 753 So.2d 1270, 1276 (Fla. 2000). Accordingly, it is

ORDERED that the Motion to Dismiss Count II (Dkt. 6) is granted; Count II is dismissed without prejudice.

DONE and ORDERED in Chambers, in Tampa, Florida on this 3^rd day of September, 2014.

/s/_________

ELIZABETH A. KOVACHEVICH

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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