Virginia Supreme Court Case Addresses Three Coverage Issues
The Supreme Court of Virginia recently issued an opinion that addresses at least three core points: (1) when can a contract outside the policy itself affect which insurance applies if an accident happens? (2) how does an auto exclusion common to Commercial General...
read moreWhat Insurance Companies Don’t Want You to Understand About Auto Insurance
If you do nothing other than buy your policy, you will get the best amount of uninsured motorist coverage you can get given your other policy limits. Virginia requires all auto policies pay for harm done to you and your family by drivers with little or no insurance of...
read moreRemoval – A Reminder
A recent federal case from Virginia's Western District serves as a useful guide for remanding case from federal court back to state court. In Purayr, LLC, v. Phocatox Technologies, LLC, 5:16cv47, the judge remanded a case for missing the thirty-day removal deadline,...
read moreCompound Prepositions – The Compost of Legal Writing
Do you know what a compound preposition is? They appear often in legal writing, and for no good reason. Read the list below. On the left—compound prepositions. After each dash—replacements for them. The examples will teach you to recognize compound prepositions,...
read moreMistakes to avoid — when your carrier wants a statement
Insurance companies often ask for details or interviews when investigating a claim. Often, such requests seek information that may affect whether or not a claim is covered under your policy – whether it is an auto, homeowners, or property loss. Your response – or failure to completely respond – can affect your coverage, so be careful.
read moreAuto Insurance Basics — Medical Payments Coverage, Or “Medpay”
Although the limits may be lower, medical payments coverage ("medpay") can help when you are hurt by a car. At least in Virginia, where the law make it part of every policy, it pays without regard to fault. Coverage instead hinges on the...
read moreAuto Insurance Basics — Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist ("UM") coverage involves some of the more complex auto insurance issues. States usually require that every policy have at least some UM coverage, and they often strictly regulates the terms. If a policy does not...
read moreAuto Insurance Basics — Your Liability Coverage
Auto liability insurance -- the basics Below you can find the core qualities of your auto liability coverage: (1) who might be covered; (2) what triggers your coverage; (3) how your insurer must help you with covered claims; and (4) how much it...
read moreNew Virginia Case Addresses Examinations Under Oath — Beware
Magistrate Judge Michael Urbanski just issued an opinion in the Western District of Virginia that deals with the insured's rights and duties when their carrier wants to examine them under oath. Those exams happen often, and many if not most insureds are woefully...
read moreAuto Insurance Basics — What Is Covered
Every person should understand the four basic types of coverage an auto policy might provide: (1) liability; (2) collision or comprehensive; (3) uninsured/underinsured motorist; and (4) medical payments. Below are simple descriptions of each. Your...
read moreRecent Case Analyzes Who Is A “Resident” In A “Household” For Insurance
Earlier this year, Judge Moon in the Western District of Virginia issued a summary judgment opinion helpful for insureds on a frequently-appearing coverage issue -- who is resident in a household. Dawson v. Auto-Owners Insurance Company, U.S.D.C., W.D.Va.,...
read moreNow, Virginia Requires That Carriers Disclose Policy Limits
Virginia's General Assembly passed a helpful law that just went in effect July 1, 2008. It requires liability insurers share the policy limits that may be available when their insureds are involved in an accident. Moreover, it requires they do so even if no...
read moreFirm Files Virginia Supreme Court Brief Amicus Curiae
The Virginia Supreme Court granted the Insurance Recovery Law Group leave to file a brief amicus curiae on behalf of the Virginia Trial Lawyer's Assocation, in the case of ACE American v. Allen, et al. The case and brief both address whether injured...
read moreSources Of Coverage Seminar
The Insurance Recovery Law Group provided the following two articles along with its presentation at a recent seminar. The first addresses potential sources of coverage. The second is a checklist of questions to ask when assessing coverage issues...
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