In a dispute over the valuation of property damage from Hurricane Laura, the Beaumont Court of Appeals held that the trial court abused its discretion when it denied an insurer’s motion to bifurcate, holding that a trial regarding entitlement to policy benefits and compensatory damages must proceed before any trial of extracontractual claims and damages was warranted where the record demonstrated that the insurer wishes to use certain evidence to defend against the bad faith claim which would be detrimental to its defense of the coverage claim.
