Lanci v. Metropolitan Insurance Co.

564 A.2d 972 (1989)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Lanci (P) was involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist. P and Metropolitan (D) entered into settlement negotiations and agreed to settle all claims for $15,000. P signed a release and thereafter refused to accept the $15,000 settlement proceeds asserting that D had fraudulently concealed or incorrectly represented that the policy limits were $15,000 rather than the $250,000. P argued that the release was signed as a result of a misrepresentation or mutual mistake and was, therefore, a nullity. The trial court gave P the verdict based on hard evidence of a letter from D indicating that the $15,000 was, in fact, the policy limit. The trial court held that this letter evidenced a mutual mistake and thus denied D’s motion to enforce the settlement agreement. D appealed.