Jennifer Lockwood, Appellant v. Geico General Insurance Company, Appellee

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court reversed summary judgment for Geico on Lockwood's insurance bad-faith claim because the evidence, viewed favorably to Lockwood, created a genuine issue of material fact about whether Geico had a reasonable basis for delaying payment of uninsured-motorist benefits. The court also held that the superior court abused its discretion by denying discovery of portions of Geico's claims-handling and training manuals that could illuminate its standard practices and the handling of Lockwood's claim. The court vacated the attorney's-fee award and remanded for further proceedings.