Galveston Jury Awards 1.384 Million in Damages for Insurance Bad Faith
November 20, 2009: A Galveston County jury found that Zurich American Insurance Company acted in bad faith in delaying and denying a workers’ compensation claim of a 44 year old Galld sandblaster injured on the job in October 2007.
The jury found that Zurich unreasonably delayed income benefits for four months, and delayed Doyle Raizner client Jerome Ryan’s medical care for his injured shoulder. Zurich failed to obtain medical records from Mr. Ryan’s doctors, claimed that Mr. Ryan could not chose his own treating physician, and refused to pay him income benefits or for his medical care until ordered to do so by the Texas Department of Insurance.
The jury in Galveston County Court at Law No. 3, Hon. Roy Quintanilla presiding, awarded 1.384 million in damages, including $500,000 in punitive damages.
