Miller v. USAA General Indemnity Company, No. 23-1934 (3d Cir. Jan. 7, 2025) - The plaintiff, who resided with her daughter in the home of her daughter’s paternal grandmother, sought UIM benefits under an auto insurance...more
In Erie Insurance Exchange v. Hannah Baluch, ___ A.3d ___, 2025 WL 22562 (Pa. Super. Ct., Jan. 3, 2025), the Pennsylvania Superior Court addressed whether an insured with her own automobile insurance policy is entitled to...more
The dispute arose when USA Underwriters rescinded an auto insurance policy due to material misrepresentation, rendering the policy void ab initio (from inception). Another insurance company, acting as the uninsured motorist...more
Hampton v. Progressive Insurance Company, Slip Copy, 2024 WL 2301366 - Robert Hampton purchased up to $15,000 in underinsured motorist coverage from Progressive for losses incurred in 2023. Steven Vicioso caused his car to...more
Progressive Express Insurance Company v. Rasier-DC, LLC, 2024 WL 1831535 (S.D. Fla. Mar. 19, 2024) - The defendant insurance company brought a declaratory judgment action to determine whether the policy it wrote to a...more
D’Elia v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company et al., 2024 WL 2931140 (Sup. Ct. Waterbury, June 3, 2024) - In this matter, a vehicle rented by defendant ELRAC, LLC to Mr. Edreice Harrell, but operated by an unknown driver, was...more
On July 1, 2024, new Virginia Code § 8.01-66.1 became effective and created a new bad faith cause of action that can be significant for underinsured or uninsured (“UIM”) carriers....more
In most states, drivers must have automobile liability coverage to pay damages caused by a driver's negligence. Failure to do so can result in fines and denial of registration. According to the Insurance Information Institute...more
The Insurer issued an Auto Policy and an Umbrella Policy. The Auto Policy provided $100,000 of UIM coverage and the Umbrella Policy provided $2,000,000 of UIM coverage. Just like ARS § 12-555(C)(2),the Auto Policy barred UIM...more
Dominance was the theme of this year’s NCAA basketball tournament, with the UConn men’s team winning back-to-back championships and the South Carolina women’s team reclaiming the title with a perfect record. But let’s not...more
In N.C. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Herbert, the North Carolina Supreme Court held that UIM policies cannot be stacked when determining whether a tortfeasor’s vehicle is underinsured. The decision upends almost 30 years of...more
Each state has its own specific set of car insurance laws laying out certain requirements for its residents. In 2023, North Carolina passed notable legislative changes to the State’s car insurance laws, increasing the minimum...more
Several years ago, I published a blog regarding the number of occurrences triggered under a liability policy for a motor vehicle accident in Florida. Other states also addressed this issue. Recently, the Federal District...more
Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident is never easy. Even when you are involved in a minor fender-bender, dealing with the insurance companies and getting your car repaired can be a painful and difficult process. But,...more
Puglia v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Illinois, 2023 WL 8059335 (Sup. Ct. New Haven, Nov. 15, 2023) - This matter involved a simple uninsured motorist claim and damages dispute between the insured plaintiff and her insurance company....more
Golik v. Erie Ins. Exch., 300 A.3d 514 (Pa. Super. Ct. Aug. 7, 2023) - Mr. Golik was issued an auto insurance policy by the defendant in 1992. After marriage, Mrs. Golik was added to the policy as a named insured. Mr. Golik...more
On August 7, 2023, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania held that the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (“MVFRL”) only requires uninsured or underinsured motorist stacking waivers on an auto policy to be...more
In Malzberg v. Josey, 473 N.J. Super. 537 (App. Div. 2022), the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division issued a published opinion finding that an insurer is not obligated to provide underinsured motorist coverage to...more
On September 29, 2022, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held, as a matter of first impression, the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law (MVFRL) only requires auto insurers to seek elections of...more
In a recent unpublished opinion, the 11th Circuit upheld summary judgment for an auto insurer on claims of breach of contract, bad faith and outrage stemming from an underinsured motorist (UIM) claim. Voss v. State Farm Mut....more
A plaintiff cannot recover attorney’s fees in a Florida lawsuit for Uninsured Motorist (“UM”) benefits unless there is a dispute about whether the insurance policy provides coverage. However, attorney’s fees from the...more
Automobile insurance policies specify a maximum amount the insurer will pay for a single accident. This coverage limit applies both to liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist (“UM”) coverages. ...more
Brett McIsaac v. Foremost Insurance Company Grand Rapids, Michigan, A160389 (Sonoma County Super. Ct. No. SCV-265433) (Filed 4/30/21; certified for publication 5/19/21) - McIsaac had an auto insurance policy with Foremost...more
On November 20, 2020, the Superior Court of Delaware confirmed that coverage denials that rely on plain policy language outlined in an automobile insurance policy’s Insuring Agreement, as opposed to a policy exclusion, are...more
Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is a component of an auto insurance policy that provides coverage for you, the policyholder, when you are involved in an accident with someone who does not have insurance. Underinsured...more