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Kane Russell Coleman Logan Earns Texas Supreme Court Victory on Behalf of Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company

On September 22, 2017, William Pilat of Kane Russell Coleman Logan obtained an important victory at the Texas Supreme Court on behalf of Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company and the insurance industry. The Texas Supreme Court denied the insured’s Petition for Review in Richardson East Baptist Church v. Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, allowing the unanimous opinion of the Dallas Court of Appeals to stand.

According to court documents, the case stemmed from a dispute over the value of an insurance claim made after the Church experienced damage to its roof during a hailstorm. As stated in the Court’s Opinion, the case originated when Richardson East Baptist Church brought action against Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company alleging “breach of contract, violations of Insurance Code, breach of duty of good faith and fair dealing, and conspiracy” in the 298th Judicial District Court in Dallas County. In September 2014, the Defendant’s counsel, Bill Pilat, obtained a summary judgment for Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, which the Church subsequently appealed. A three-justice panel in the Dallas Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the trial court’s judgment. In July 2016, the Church petitioned the Texas Supreme Court to review the case. The court denied the insured’s petition for review, which concludes all proceedings in the case.

“This was an important case because it provided a clearer and more reasonable definition of bad faith and breach of contract in insurance disputes,” said Bill Pilat. He continues, “We are gratified that the courts supported our standing on the matter through to the Texas Supreme Court.”