Ex parte Finkbohner
Decision Date | 06 September 1996 |
Citation | 682 So.2d 409 |
Parties | Ex parte George W. FINKBOHNER III and Sandra Finkbohner. (In re George W. FINKBOHNER III and Sandra Finkbohner v. PRINCIPAL MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, et al.). 1951363. |
Court | Alabama Supreme Court |
C.S. Chiepalich and John R. Spencer of C.S. Chiepalich, P.C., Mobile, for Petitioners.
Lynn Etheridge Hare and Stephanie R. White of Hare, Hair & White, P.C., Birmingham, for Respondent.
The plaintiffs George W. Finkbohner III and Sandra Finkbohner petition this Court for a writ of mandamus directing the trial court to compel the defendant Principal Mutual Life Insurance Company ("Principal Mutual") to comply with a discovery request. The petition is granted in part and denied in part.
Sandra Finkbohner underwent a surgical procedure to repair a ventral hernia. It appears from the evidence presented that this procedure was determined by Ms. Finkbohner's personal physicians and her medical insurer, Principal Mutual, to be medically necessary to correct an abdominal problem that had arisen a few months before, during Ms. Finkbohner's pregnancy. It also appears that Ms. Finkbohner's physicians submitted a request for a "presurgery review" to Principal Mutual, specifically referencing a procedure assigned code number 49560--the procedure to repair the hernia. Principal Mutual later paid all of the expenses associated with this procedure. At the same time they repaired Ms. Finkbohner's hernia, however, her physicians also performed an abdominoplasty, or, as it is commonly referred to, a "tummy tuck." Ms. Finkbohner's physicians had apparently not mentioned this procedure in their request for the presurgery review, and Principal Mutual had not authorized payment for it. Upon receiving a bill for both procedures (one coded 49560 and the other coded 15831), and after consulting a cosmetic surgeon, Principal Mutual denied the Finkbohners' claim for expenses associated with the abdominoplasty on the ground that such a procedure constituted "cosmetic surgery," which is defined in the Finkbohners' policy as follows:
(Emphasis added.)
The Finkbohners sued Principal Mutual, alleging breach of contract and bad faith denial of an insurance claim. Principal Mutual denied liability, based on the wording of its policy. The Finkbohners' bad faith claim is based in part on Principal Mutual's negative response to the following interrogatory:
"Does [Principal Mutual] contend that the surgical procedure related to the claim for benefits which forms the basis of this complaint was performed primarily for psychological purposes?"
The Finkbohners also rely on the certificate of insurance that was provided to them by Principal Mutual. This certificate, which summarizes the coverage provided under the policy, contains a different definition of "cosmetic surgery" than that contained in the policy. The certificate states:
(Emphasis added.) The Finkbohners' bad faith claim, as we understand it, can basically be summarized as follows: Although it may have had a legitimate reason (based on the cosmetic surgeon's opinion) for concluding that the abdominoplasty was "not needed to correct or improve a bodily function," Principal Mutual is nonetheless liable for bad faith failure to pay the claim 1) because it is estopped to rely on the definition of "cosmetic surgery" contained in the policy (on the ground that it is different from the definition contained in the certificate) and 2) because it has admitted (and, presumably, knew all along) that the surgery was not performed primarily for psychological purposes. According to the Finkbohners, Principal Mutual knew when it denied the claim that it could not satisfy the definition of "cosmetic surgery" contained in the certificate, which requires that the surgery be performed primarily for psychological purposes and that it not be needed to correct or improve a bodily function.
The following interrogatories and requests for production, which were objected to by Principal Mutual on the grounds that they were overly broad, unduly burdensome, and not likely to lead to the discovery of relevant information, form the basis for the Finkbohners' petition:
Relying on this Court's recent decision in Ex parte Rowland, 669 So.2d 125 (Ala.1995), the Finkbohners contend that the trial court abused its discretion in denying their motion to compel Principal Mutual to respond to these interrogatories and requests for production. Principal Mutual argues that the trial court had broad discretion in ruling on the Finkbohners' discovery request and that it did not abuse that discretion in this instance.
In Rowland, a fraud and breach of contract action arising out of the purchase of an automobile, the plaintiff purchaser petitioned for a writ of mandamus directing the trial court to permit him to discover any fraud actions that had been filed against the defendant dealer in the previous 10 years. Because the plaintiff's fraud claim was based on allegations that the defendant had misrepresented the size of the automobile's engine, the trial court had permitted discovery of only those previous fraud actions that may have been based on allegations of misrepresentations of engine size. The plaintiff argued that such a restriction was at odds with his broad right of discovery in a fraud action and that the trial court had abused its discretion. We agreed and granted the writ, stating:
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