PRINCETON – A Mercer County man is suing over claims his insurance company has not adequately compensated him for injuries sustained in a 2010 collision.
Willis E. Bishop filed a lawsuit Oct. 30 in Mercer Circuit Court against Horace Mann Insurance Company and James Haun.
According to the complaint, Bishop was insured by Horace Mann when he was injured in a motor vehicle collision on W.Va. 20 on Feb. 8, 2010, due to the negligence of another driver. Bishop says he sustained injuries to his shoulder and his vehicle, and incurred medical expenses in excess of $38,000 but settled with Geico Indemnity Insurance Company, the other driver's insurer, for $20,000. T
he complaint states Bishop's policy with the defendant included under-insured motor vehicle coverage in the amount of $100,000, and he notified Haun, an agent of the insurance company but the defendant breached its duties by failing to properly investigate the incident or review the plaintiff's injuries.
Bishop says Haun failed to communicate with him about his claim, and Horace Mann made inadequate settlement offers of $18,000 and $22,000 in 2012, before reducing the already inadequate offer back to $18,000 in August 2014.
Bishop seeks compensatory and punitive damages, interest and attorney fees.
He is represented by attorney Kenneth E. Chittum of Bluefield. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge William J. Sadler.
Mercer Circuit Court case number: 14-C-565-WS
Man says insurer didn't compensate him properly
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