Dirks v. Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.

McGIVERIN, Chief Justice.

Plaintiffs Wayne and Nancy Dirks, individually and as next friend of their children, Crystal N. Dirks and Amber D. Dirks, sued defendant Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, their own insurer, for failure to pay them underinsured motorist benefits to which plaintiffs believed they were entitled under their auto insurance policies. After trial, the jury awarded plaintiffs damages, including punitive damages on plaintiffs’ first-party bad faith claim against defendant.

Farm Bureau filed a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict on the bad faith claim. The…