I’ve been representing policyholders in insurance coverage litigation for 35 years, and I’m convinced that I’ll never understand the logic of insurance company claim departments. They settle cases that I think they might want to fight, and they fight cases tooth-and-nail that I think they really should settle. (Maybe it’s me.)
The carrier’s claim file…
Earlier this month, I was asked by Elizabeth Lorell, an excellent defense lawyer, to speak at a CLE conference sponsored by her law firm. (You can read Elizabeth’s bio here.) The audience consisted of other defense lawyers, and insurance company claims representatives. In other words, I was basically a snake at a mongoose convention.…
Recently, one of my friends in the insurance defense bar told me that he’d been given a very strict standing order by his insurance company client. In any case involving a potential conflict-of-laws situation, he was prohibited from EVER arguing for the application of New Jersey law.
This attitude stems from cases like the New…