Whether Plaintiff Qualifies as an Insured Under UIM Endorsement Not Subject to Arbitration
Plaintiff Carole Zelig was injured in an automobile accident, while a passenger in a vehicle operated by a friend. She settled her personal injury claim against the tortfeasor and then filed an underinsured motorist (UIM) claim against the defendant Tower Group Companies, the carrier for a business partially owned by plaintiff. In Zelig v. Tower […]
Court Rules that Settlement from Self-Insured Premises Owner Should be Applied as Credit against Plaintiff’s UIM Coverage
Plaintiff Janine Ball was injured while walking into a Rite Aid store when struck by defendant Charles Reese, who had fallen asleep at the wheel. She sued Reese based upon negligence in operating his vehicle and Rite Aid based upon a premises liability theory. Plaintiff also informed her own automobile insurance company that she intended […]
Church Found Not Liable for Fall on Public Sidewalk in Front of Vacant Church Property
Plaintiff Timothy Ellis fell on a public sidewalk in front of a vacant church owned by defendant Hilton United Methodist Church. Plaintiff argued that the church should be liable for his injuries suffered in the fall because its property should be deemed a “commercial” property for purposes of assessing liability. In the published decision of […]
Allocation of Negligence as to Fictitious Defendant Permitted in Automobile Accident Lawsuit
I had previously reported on the Appellate Division decision in Krzykalski v. Tindall, 448 N.J. Super. 1 (App. Div. 2016), in which the court upheld the trial court’s decision to allow the jury to allocate negligence between defendant David Tindall and the fictitiously named John Doe defendant in an automobile accident case. The New Jersey […]
Plaintiff’s Retail Safety Expert Found Not Qualified to Testify as Expert
Plaintiff Kim Yazujian sued PetSmart for an injury that occurred due to a slip and fall at one of their stores. The case was tried before a jury and the jury found PetSmart not liable. Plaintiff appealed on the basis that the trial court judge abused its discretion in excluding his retail safety expert from […]
Plaintiff’s Failure to Notify His Auto Insurance Carrier of Litigation Against Underinsured Tortfeasor Bars UIM Claim
Plaintiff Robert Ferrante was injured in an automobile accident in which the other motorist (“the tortfeasor”) caused the accident. Without informing his automobile insurance company, New Jersey Manufacturers (“NJM”), Plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the tortfeasor, participated in mandatory arbitration, rejected the award and asked for a trial de novo, refused a settlement offer, tried […]
New Jersey Appellate Court Refuses to Recognize Tort Claim for Negligent Misidentification of Suspect
Plaintiff Dwight Morris was at his bank to make a withdrawal when the male in front of him handed the teller a robbery note. The teller handed the robber a stack of bills and the robber then left the bank. The teller called 9-1-1 and, when the police came, the plaintiff claims that they questioned […]
Insurer Not Barred from Disclaiming Coverage after Providing Courtesy Defense
The Appellate Division recently decided a very interesting case addressing the impact of an insurance carrier issuing a “reservation of rights” letter to its insured while also simultaneously agreeing to provide a defense for the insured, but failing to clearly request the insured’s consent to the insurer’s control of that defense. Northfield Insurance Company v. […]
Claims that Fall Under Employers Liability/Part B Coverage
Employers Liability insurance coverage is a “gap filler” coverage, providing protection to employers in situations where an injured employee has the right to bring a civil tort action for damages despite the provisions of the New Jersey workers’ compensation statute. Although N.J.S.A. 34:15-8 makes workers’ compensation the “exclusive remedy” for an injured employee, in which […]
Litigation Privilege Bars Lawsuit as to Alleged Defamatory Statement Made by Litigant
The plaintiff (an attorney) sued his former client, defendant Shai Harmelech, to collect on an unpaid legal bill. In the course of that lawsuit, the trial judge asked the parties if they would be interested in participating in a mediation to resolve the dispute. In response to the court’s request, Harmelech sent an email to […]
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