Civil Procedure, Commercial Law & Contracts, Insurance

Groundhog Day for Tuomey: Jury Finds Hospital Violated Stark Law and False Claims Act

by Darby C. Allen, Donna S. Clark | BakerHostetler on 5/22/2013

On May 8, 2013, a jury in the Columbia Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina returned a verdict finding that Tuomey Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Tuomey) violated the Stark Law and the federal...more

Judicial Notice Doctrine Bolstered by Court of Appeal Decision

by Travis Wall | Barger & Wolen on 5/22/2013

A recent California decision should make it easier for insurers to attack allegations at the pleading stage in state court actions. ...more

Weekly Law Resume - May 16, 2013: Insurance Coverage – Duty to Defend – Vacant Property

by David L. Blinn | Low, Ball & Lynch on 5/22/2013

Travelers Property Cas. Co. of America v. Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles - Court of Appeal, Second District (April 17, 2013) - Most insurers do not like to insure empty buildings. Consequently,...more

Retired County Employees Can Amend Their Complaint In An Attempt To Prove Existence Of A Contract for Health Benefits

by Laura Izon Powell, Bruce A. Scheidt, Kristianne Seargeant, David W. Tyra | Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard on 5/22/2013

In 2008, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (“County”) acted to cap the county’s contributions for health care benefits for retired employees at $500 per month. The Sonoma County Association of Retired Employees...more

Insurance Recovery Law -- May 16, 2013

by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP on 5/17/2013

In This Issue: Prepare For A Storm of Lawsuits; To Ensure Coverage, Read Policy Carefully; and Ticketmaster Wins Reversal, Possible Coverage For Class Action Over Ticket Fees ...more

Discoverability of Documents in Insurance Bad Faith Claims

by Pavlack Law, LLC on 5/17/2013

This week we take a look at the ability to discover documents from an insurance company's claim's file in an insurance bad faith claim through the recent Southern District of Indiana decision in Woodruff v. American Family...more

SuperVision Today - 2nd Quarter 2013

by Erin Jones Adams, R. Scott Adams, Alyesha Asghar Dotson, Carrie Harris, Eric W. Iskra, Eric E. Kinder, Richard Wallace | Spilman Thomas & Battle, PLLC on 5/16/2013

In This Issue: - Notes from the Chair & Executive Editor - The Board Plays On: The NLRB Clarifies Its Position on At-Will Disclaimers - Interns This Summer? Evaluating Your Unpaid Internship Programs...more

California Civil Depositions Limited To Seven Hours Under New Law

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/15/2013

Some attorneys are known for being long-winded time wasters who act with little regard for efficiency, especially when billing at an hourly rate. Although we believe the length of a deposition is often dictated by the...more

Estée Lauder v. OneBeacon Insurance Group – Expanding the Scope of Discovery in Bad Faith Cases

by Jennifer Clark, Stacey Farrell, Angelo Savino | Cozen O'Connor on 5/15/2013

On April 15, 2013, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, granted the insured’s request for the production of certain claims file material and previously sealed discovery in Estée Lauder Inc. v....more

Tenth Circuit Holds Underlying Securities Claims Interrelated

by Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP on 5/14/2013

In its recent decision in Brecek & Young Advisors, Inc. v. Lloyds of London Syndicate 2003, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 9599 (10th Cir. May 13, 2013), the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, applying New York law,...more

Trial Tactics for Insurance and Corporate Defense Cases

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/14/2013

Insurance companies and corporate defendants often begin a lawsuit at a disadvantage due to the mere fact that they are being sued by a plaintiff who alleges to have been injured and/or damaged. It is therefore crucial to...more

Court Adheres to Specific Definition of “Designated Premises”; Holds Policy Cancellation Does Not Preclude Rescission

by Daniel Bryer | Sedgwick LLP on 5/13/2013

In Seneca Ins. Co. v. Cimran Co., — N.Y.S.2d –, 2013 WL 1405231 (App. Div. 1st Dep’t 2013), the New York appeals court granted the insurer’s motion for summary judgment, declaring that it had no duty to defend and indemnify...more

California Supreme Court Hears Argument on Whether Insurance Code Limits UCL Lawsuits Against Insurers

by Larry Golub, Samuel Sorich | Barger & Wolen on 5/13/2013

On May 8, 2013, the California Supreme Court convened to hear oral argument in Zhang v. Superior Court. The case presents the issue of whether conduct of an insurer, which is related to conduct that would violate California’s...more

California Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations

by Bruce Celebrezze, Marilyn Klinger | Sedgwick LLP on 5/13/2013

Table of Contents: Introduction; PART ONE - Summary of Fair Claims Settlement Practices Regulations; Introduction; Claims Handling Duties; Acceptance or Rejection of Claims; Settlement Offers and Payment of Accepted...more

Litigation Management: A Win-Win

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/13/2013

Using tools and strategies to effectively and intelligently proceed a case through the litigation process, based on the goals and expectations of a specific client, is an important part of effective legal representation. This...more

Absent a Contract With the Provider, HMOs Are Not Liable for Unpaid Services

by Michael Klein | Sedgwick LLP on 5/10/2013

On April 19, 2013, the Texas Supreme Court handed down its opinion in Christus Health Gulf Coast, et al. v. Aetna, Inc. et al. The court’s ruling put an end to the so-called “double pay” theory of liability by downstream...more

Daubert Standard For Expert Testimony Almost Applied In California

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/10/2013

The standard for admitting expert scientific testimony in a federal trial under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was established in the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical (US Supreme Court, 6/28/93), then...more

Automotive Legal News - May 2013 • 2nd Quarter

by John Anderson, Sr., James M. Burns, M. Kimberly Stagg, Richard Wilhelm | Dickinson Wright on 5/9/2013

IN THE ISSUE: - The Legal Challenge to the SEC’s Conflict Minerals Reporting Regulations: In the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the United States Congress required, inter alia, the SEC to promulgate regulations requiring...more

In New York, One Priest’s Multiple Acts of Sexual Abuse on a Minor Constitutes Multiple Occurrences

by Diana Karnes, Gregory Lahr | Sedgwick LLP on 5/9/2013

Yesterday, New York State’s highest court, for the “first time,” ruled on the meaning of “occurrence” in the context of multiple incidents of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest that spanned several years and policy periods. ...more

Court Issues Summary Judgment Ruling in MBIA’s RMBS Action Against Countrywide

by Orrick - Structured Finance Group on 5/9/2013

On April 29, Justice Eileen Bransten of the New York State Supreme Court issued an opinion granting in part and denying in part competing motions for summary judgment filed by MBIA and Countrywide in connection with tort and...more

Courts Are Liberally Construing Litigation Insurance Coverage for Class Action Defenses and So Should Defendants

by C. Zachary Rosenberg, Judy Selby | BakerHostetler on 5/8/2013

Although the Supreme Court continues to set the bar for class certification higher and higher, plaintiffs’ attorneys continue to file class action lawsuits of questionable merit. The litigation costs required to gain...more

Bad Faith Liability Exposure: an Anvil, a Feather or an Occasional Lever?

by Lynda A. Bennett | Lowenstein Sandler LLP on 5/8/2013

Any company faced with a coverage denial inevitably asks the question: Will the insurance company change its position if we sue them for bad faith? The short answer to the question is usually no. In general, insurance...more

The Use And Misuse Of Expert Testimony In Bad Faith Actions

by E. Kelly Bittick Jr., Jeffrey Michael Cohen | Carlton Fields on 5/8/2013

Modern trials are frequently battles of experts hired by the parties to advocate their respective positions. Bad faith actions are no different. The plaintiff and the insurer will both beat the bushes for claims handlers or...more

Weekly Law Resume - April 26, 2013: Insurance Coverage – Excess v Primary Carriers and Horizontal Exhaustion

by David L. Blinn | Low, Ball & Lynch on 5/8/2013

Kaiser Cement & Gypsum Corp. v. Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania Court of Appeal, Second District (April 8, 2013) Last year, in State of California v. Continental Insurance Company (2012) 55 Cal.4th...more

Costs and Attorney Fees Awarded In the Same Action in Idaho

by Christina Ahn | Sedgwick LLP on 5/7/2013

In Employers Mutual Casualty Co. v. Donnelly, No. — P.3d —-, 2013 WL 1693661 (Idaho Apr. 19, 2013), a majority of the Idaho Supreme Court affirmed a declaratory judgment action decision that an insurer was required to pay...more

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Civil Procedure › Commercial Law & Contracts › Insurance