Memorandum Opinion and Order
In July 2011, Plaintiff Sabrina Roppo was involved in a car accident with Jeffrey Block. Block was insured by Defendant Travelers, holding both a personal automobile insurance policy and an excess, umbrella policy.
I. Background
In evaluating the motion to dismiss, the Court must accept as true the complaint’s factual allegations and draw reasonable inferences in Roppo’s favor. Ashcroft v. al-Kidd,
Shortly after the accident, Roppo sent a certified letter to Travelers requesting Block’s policy limits “[p]ursuant to 215 ILCS 5/143.24b,” which is part of the Illinois Insurance Code. Third Am. Compl. ¶ 43; R. 63-1, Pl.’s Exh. A, Aug. 9, 2011 Letter. Rachel Grace, a Travelers Claims Representative, responded that Block had $500,000 in coverage. Third Am. Compl. ¶ 44; R. 63-3, PL’s Exh. C, Aug. 30, 2011 Letter. Grace also asked Roppo’s counsel to provide medical records and a signed medical authorization form. Third Am. Compl. ¶ 44. More than a year later, Rop-po filed a personal-injury suit against Block in state court. Id. ¶ 45. Travelers provided Block with a defense. Id. ¶ 46. Shortly after the state-court suit was filed, Grace called Roppo’s counsel to assess the extent of Roppo’s injuries. Id. ¶ 45. During the phone call, Grace reiterated that there was only $500,000 in coverage. Id. Roppo told Grace that a policy demand was forthcoming, and she rejected Travelers’s initial settlement offer of $325,000. Id.
Jason Hitchings — who worked at Roanne Maisel’s law firm, Maisel & Associates — filed an appearance on behalf of Block in the personal-injury lawsuit on January 22, 2013. Id. ¶¶5, 7, 46. As Block’s attorney, Hitchings was responsible for responding to the interrogatories posed by Roppo in the state-court suit. Id. ¶¶ 47-48. Roppo asked Block to list all insurance policies, “including umbrella or excess insurance coverage.” Id. ¶ 47. In response, Hitchings listed only the personal automobile insurance policy. Id. ¶¶ 47-48 (identifying the date of the interrogatory responses as April 3, 2013). He did not tell Roppo about the umbrella policy. Id. Plaintiffs counsel, who had been “lied to in another case” about a tortfeasor’s policy limits, “repeatedly expressed uncertainty” that there was no umbrella policy. Id. ¶ 49. Finally, on June 13, 2013, Hitchings revealed to Roppo’s counsel that Block had $1,000,000 in umbrella coverage. Id. On May 9, 2014, nearly eleven months after the disclosure of the umbrella coverage, Roppo settled her claims against Block for $750,000. Id. ¶ 52.
II. Legal Standards
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a)(2), a complaint generally need only include “a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(2). This short and plain statement must “give the defendant fair notice of what the ... claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,
“A motion under Rule 12(b)(6) challenges the sufficiency of the complaint to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” Hallinan v. Fraternal Order of Police of Chi. Lodge No. 7,
■ Claims alleging fraud must also satisfy the heightened pleading requirement of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 9(b), which requires that “[i]n alleging fraud or mistake, a party must state with particularity the circumstances constituting fraud or mistake.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 9(b) (emphasis added). Thus, Rule 9(b) “require[s] the plaintiff to state the identity of the person making the misrepresentation, the time, place, and content of the misrepresentation, and the method by which the misrepresentation was communicated to the plaintiff.” Uni*Quality, Inc. v. Infotronx, Inc.,
III. Analysis
A. Fraudulent and Negligent Misrepresentation (Counts 1-3, 10)
In Counts 1, 2, and’ 3, Roppo alleges that Travelers, Hitchings, and Maisel fraudulently misrepresented Block’s policy limits. Third Am. Compl. at Count 1, ¶¶ 54-72; Count 2, ¶¶ 54-67; Count 3, ¶¶ 54-68. In the alternative, she claims that Travelers negligently misrepresented Block’s policy limits. Id. ■ at' Count 10, ¶¶ 54-73. For all of these claims, Roppo must allege that she took' “action ... in reliance on the truth of’ Defendants’ misrepresentations. See Soules v. Gen. Motors Corp.,
Roppo argues that Defendants’ argument would improperly question the merits of her claim at the pleadings stage of the case. Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 8-10. Although Roppo is correct that her factual assertions are entitled to the assumption of truth at this stage, her claim may nevertheless be dismissed if she has pled herself out of court by alleging facts that demonstrate she has no viable claim, see McCready v. eBay, Inc.,
Even under the more relaxed Rule 8 standard (which applies to the negligent misrepresentation claim), see Tricontinental Indus., Ltd. v. PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP,
Roppo argues that Travelers misrepresented the policy limits before her counsel expressed uncertainty about them.
For practical reasons (in case the parties want to talk settlement) and for the sake of completeness (in case there is an appeal), it is worth discussing Travelers’ attack on the damages alleged in the complaint. On this issue, the Court concludes that even if Roppo had adequately alleged reliance, her damages would be extremely limited. In each of her claims, Roppo alleges that she suffered several injuries: (1) emotional distress; (2) aggravation and inconvenience; (3) delay in settlement; (4) changes in the duration, course, and scope
As a preliminary matter, Roppo can only recover for injuries that she herself suffered. See Connick v. Suzuki Motor Co.,
Nor can Roppo’s claims for emotional distress or “aggravation and inconvenience” survive. In Illinois, emotional distress damages are only cognizable “where the distress inflicted is so severe that no reasonable man could be expected to endure it.” Doe v. Northwestern Univ.,
The only possibly viable damages claims are the actual, pecuniary damages that Roppo allegedly suffered due to the delay in disclosing Block’s actual policy limits. To understand the potential length of the delay, it is necessary to figure out the earliest possible date it could be said that Travelers misrepresented the policy limits. One possible start date is August 30, 2011, the date of the letter sent by Rachel Grace in response to a request by Roppo’s lawyers under the Illinois Insurance Code. But, as fully discussed in addressing Count Six below, the response letter did not amount to a misrepresentation under § 143.24b of the Illinois Insurance Code. The first misrepresentation therefore occurred sometime between December 2012 and January 2013, when Grace told Rop-po’s counsel over the phone that the policy
Given these factual allegations, the damages that Roppo suffered (if any) must have occurred during the six-month period between the first misrepresentation and the revelation of the true policy limits. Roppo claims that had she had known about the umbrella policy, she would have settled the case for $750,000 earlier than she did. PL’s Resp. Br. at 12. If she had, the settlement amount would have been earning interest for her earlier. Id. at 12-13 (citing Merritt v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.,
B. Negligence (Counts 4-5)
Roppo also alleges that Hitchings and Maisel were negligent when they failed to provide complete answers to Roppo’s interrogatories. Third Am. Compl. at Count 4, ¶¶ 54-63; Count 5, ¶¶ 54-61. • In order to state a claim for negligence under Illinois law, Roppo must allege “the existence of a duty owed by the defendant to the plaintiff, a breach of that duty, and an injury proximately resulting from the breach.” Pelham v. Griesheimer,
In Illinois, the “traditional, general rule has been that the obligation of the attorney is to his client and not to a third party.”
So as a non-client, Roppo must allege facts that would suggest that “the primary purpose and intent of the attorney-client relationship itself was to benefit or influence the third party.” Pelham,
Roppo also brings a negligence claim against Maisel, alleging that she failed to train and supervise Hitchings in providing truthful answers to discovery requests. Third Am. Compl. at Count 5, ¶¶ 54-61. In a claim for failure to train or supervise, the plaintiff must “prove that the employer’s breach — not simply the employee’s malfeasance — was a proximate cause of the plaintiffs injury.” Vancura v. Katris,
C. Violation of 215 ILCS 5/143.24b (Count 6)
Under certain circumstances, the Illinois Insurance Code requires an insurer to disclose the policy limits of its insured to someone making a claim against the insured’s policy. See 215 ILCS 5/143.24b. When the insured is involved in a “vehicular accident,” the insurance company must “disclose the dollar amount of liability coverage under the insured’s personal private passenger automobile liability insurance policy” when the claimant requests it. Id. To make a request for the policy limits, a claimant (or her representative) must provide the insurer with “(a) a certified letter ... which requests such disclosure and (b) a brief description of the nature and extent of the injuries, accompanied by a statement of the amount of medical bills incurred to date and copies of medical records.” Id. Roppo alleges that Travelers violated this provision of the Insurance Code when it did not disclose the umbrella policy in response to her certified letter. Third Am. Compl. at Count 6, ¶¶ 54-67.
Travelers argues that this claim must be dismissed because there is no private cause of action under § 143.24b of the Insurance Code. The statute does not expressly provide for private suits, but Roppo argues that there is an implied private right of action. Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 20; Third Am. Compl. at Count 6, ¶¶ 54-67. Illinois courts look to four factors to determine if an implied private right of action is appropriate: (1) if “the Plaintiff is a member of the class for whose benefit the statute was enacted”; (2) if “the Plaintiffs injury is one the statute was designed to prevent”; (3) if “a private right of action is consistent with the underlying purpose of the statute”; and (4) if “implying a private right of action is necessary to provide an adequate remedy for violations of the statute.” Metzger v. DaRosa,
A claimant must provide two things to trigger the disclosure in § 143.24b: “(a) a certified letter ... which requests [a] disclosure [of the insured’s personal private passenger automobile liability insurance policy] and (b) a brief description of the nature and extent of the injuries, accompanied by a statement of the amount of medical bills incurred to date and copies of medical records.” 215 ILCS 5/143.24b. Roppo’s attorney sent the required certified letter to Travelers on August 9, 2011. Third Am. Compl. ¶ 43; Pl.’s Exh. A, Aug. 9, 2011 Letter (asking for Block’s policy limits “[p]ursuant to 215 ILCS 5/143.24(b)”). But the letter did not include any description of the injuries or medical records, and Roppo concedes that she did not supply Travelers with that information. Id.; Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 18 (“In the instant case, Plaintiffs’ attorney sent a letter by certified mail as required by the statute but did not include medical information.”). Roppo therefore did not comply with the provisions of § 143.24b that would entitle her to disclosure.
Roppo argues that Travelers has waived the right to assert this argument. Id. Implied waiver “arises when conduct of the person against whom waiver is asserted is inconsistent with any intention other than to waive it.” Home Ins. Co. v. Cincinnati Ins. Co.,
In its response to Roppo’s August 9th letter, Rachel Grace, the Travelers Claims Representative, acknowledged the lack of medical records: “While we realize that medical specials and narratives are not available now, we are in need of information so that our file will reflect the accurate injury and medical information for this claim.” Pl’s Exh. C, Aug. 30, 2011 Letter. Roppo argues that, because Grace acknowledged the lack of medical information in the letter and provided the policy information anyway, they cannot now argue that Roppo did not comply with the statute. But Grace’s acknowledgment of the missing medical records is not “inconsistent with any intention other than to waive” Travelers’s right to receive the medical information. Home Ins. Co.,
Roppo argues against this interpretation of § 143.24b, pointing to the title of the statute. She says that the provision is entitled “Disclosure of liability coverage; confidentiality,” which demonstrates the legislature’s intent to require prompt disclosure of all liability coverage. PL’s Br. at 18-19. Although the title of a statute can shed light on legislative intent, Roppo fails to quote the entire title of § 143.24b. The provision is actually entitled “Disclosure of dollar amount of automobile liability coverage.” 215 ILCS 5/143.24b (emphasis added). The statute’s actual title reinforces the conclusion that the specific reference to “automobile liability insurance” refers to just that— automobile liability insurance. It does not include umbrella policies, which are “entirely different from [ ] automobile policies].” Hartbarger,
D. Illinois Consumer Fraud Act (Counts 7-8)
In Counts 7 and 8 of her complaint, Roppo brings claims against Travelers and Maisel under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act (ICFA). The ICFA prohibits “unfair or deceptive acts or practices, including ... fi-aud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation or the concealment, suppression or omission of any material fact” in the “conduct of any trade or commerce.” 815 ILCS 505/2. Ordinarily, a plaintiff must allege that she is a “consumer” to state a claim under the ICFA. See Bank One Milwaukee v. Sanchez,
Defendants argue that Roppo’s allegations do not state a claim via the consumer-nexus test. Defs.’ Br. at 18-19. The Court agrees. Roppo argues that fractional disclosure has a “damaging effect,” but she fails to articulate how this damaging effect harms consumers (like Block), is addressed to the market generally, or otherwise implicates consumer protection concerns. Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 20. Roppo makes no allegations that Travelers or their lawyers were misrepresenting policy limits to their insured. She does not allege that Defendants’ misrepresentation of policy limits somehow caused Travelers’s insured to pay higher premiums or suffer any other negative consequences. And she does not suggest how her requested relief would help consumers. Roppo provides no factual matter that would support an inference that Defendants’ conduct—though deceitful—affects ¡consumers in any way. Cf. Bank One Milwaukee,
Moreover, to state a claim under the ICFA, Roppo must allege' both that she relied on the Defendants’ deception and that she suffered actual damages. Avery v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.,
E. Violation of 215 ILCS 5/155 (Count 9)
Roppo alleges that Travelers violated the Illinois Insurance Code when it vexatiously and unreasonably delayed set
For her part, Roppo argues that Yassin is wrongly decided. Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 23-25 (arguing that “the Yassin Court failed to recognize ... that the legislative language is broader than the cases have interpreted it” and that, in Yassin, “[a]ctual analysis of the issue is just not there”). Even if she is right, a federal court sitting in diversity “must attempt to decide the case as the highest court of the state supplying the’ law would do.” Todd v. Societe BIG, S.A.,
F. RICO (Count 11)
In her final claim, Roppo alleges that Travelers violated RICO by misrepresenting Block’s policy limits. Third Am. Compl. at Count 11, ¶¶ 54-61. To state a claim under RICO, Roppo must allege “(1) conduct (2) of an enterprise (3) through a pattern (4) of racketeering activity.” Goren v. New Vision Int’l, Inc.,
Although the Court would ordinarily require Roppo to make a proper motion for leave to amend before deciding this issue, it would be a waste of time to do so here because an amendment would not be allowed. The RICO claim is premised on the alleged fraudulent misrepresentations, which were not pled with sufficient particularity. As discussed above, Roppo has had ample opportunity to properly plead these claims — this is her third amended complaint. She has not done so, and those claims have been dismissed with prejudice. Because she also failed to properly plead the fraud claims as predicate acts under RICO, her RICO claim is also dismissed with prejudice. Leave to amend the complaint is denied.
IV. Conclusion
For the reasons discussed above, Defendants’ motion to dismiss is granted. Rop-po’s claims are dismissed with prejudice.
Notes
.Roppo identifies several companies "that comprise” Travelers. R. 63, Third Am. Compl. ¶ 2. At the time that she filed her third amended complaint, Roppo could not determine which of these entities issued motor vehicle insurance and the excess umbrella policy to Block. Id. V 3. Without additional discovery, Roppo cannot determine precisely which Travelers companies are the proper defendants in this case. Id. ¶¶ 3-4. For the purposes of the motion to dismiss, the Court will refer to all potential defendants who are affiliated with the Travelers Insurance Company as "Travelers.”
. For convenience’s sake, Roanne Maisel and Maisel & Associates will be referred to collectively as "Maisel.”
. Because Roppo brings this suit as a proposed class action, the Court has jurisdiction over Roppo’s claims under the Class Action Fairness Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d), as explained in detail in a prior opinion. See R. 1, Notice of Removal; R. 49, Order Denying Mot. Remand.
. Knowledge of an attorney is imputed to the client. Segal v. Dep’t of Ins.,
. As discussed below, Rachel Grace's August 30, 2011 letter to Roppo’s counsel did not misrepresent the policy limits that Travelers was required to disclose under 215 ILCS 5/143.24b. The first potentially actionable representation, then, is the phone call with Grace sometime between December 2012 and January 2013. Third Am. Compl. ¶ 45.
. In her complaint, Roppo invokes the “mend to hold” doctrine — -a traditional contract-law concept — to argue that Defendants cannot now say that Roppo has not suffered damages because they previously argued that the amount in controversy exceeded CAFA’s $5 million amount-in-controversy requirement. See, e.g., Third Am. Compl. at Count 1, ¶ 72. Defendants raised this issue in their motion to dismiss, arguing that the doctrine does not apply. Defs.' Br. at 8-9. Roppo did not address the issue in response. See generally Pl.'s Resp. Br. “Failure to respond to an argument results in waiver.” Bonte v. U.S. Bank, N.A.,
. In one sentence, Roppo argues that "circumstances alleging fraud can provide an exception to the general rule.” Pl’s Resp. Br. at. 16 (citing Bloomer Amusement Co. v. Eskenazi,
. It is true that the employee need not be found liable in tort to support a claim of direct liability against an employer, but there must be “some type of malfeasance, wrongdoing, or negligence on the part of the employee
. The Court does not need to accept as true Roppo's bare legal conclusion that Maisel owed a duty to Roppo. See Third Am. Compl. at Count 5, ¶¶ 55-57; Iqbal,
. Perhaps, as Roppo implies, the provision should be amended to require disclosure of excess lines of personal insurance, but that is not for this Court to decide. See Gibbs v. Madison Cnty. Sheriff’s Dept.,
. And, even if she had alleged reliance, the only possible damages that she could recover are for the delay of six months between the deception and when the umbrella policy was revealed.
. Travelers also argues that Roppo cannot state a claim under § 154.6 of the Insurance Code. Defs.’ Br. at 19-20. Roppo does cite to , § 154.6 in the body of Count 9, but she only references that provision to support her allegations that Travelers's behavior was unreasonable under Section 155. See Third Am. Compl. at Count 9, ¶ 54; Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 23 (stating that she is not seeking relief under Section 154.6). In any event, Roppo could not bring a claim under Section 154.6, as there is no private cause of action under that provision. See Am. Serv. Ins. Co. v. Passarelli,
. Travelers also argues that Roppo has not established RICO standing because she has failed to plead injury to her business or property. Defs.’ Br. at 22. Roppo responds that she has alleged the necessary injury. Pl.’s Resp. Br. at 27. Given the Court's decision on the motion for leave to amend embedded in Roppo’s response brief, however, it is not necessary for the Court to decide whether' Roppo has properly alleged a RICO injury.
