GMSR: Practice Area

Insurance Law includes coverage, bad faith, first-party, third-party, and excess coverages.

Click on featured cases (in red) for more information or click on attorney name for Insurance Law cases associated with that attorney.

Compulink Management Center, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. (2008) 169 Cal.App.4th 289
Insured must arbitrate amount of defense fees owed where defense eventually provided even if claiming bad faith delay
Robert A. Olson

Edwards v. Fire Insurance Exchange (2008) 2008 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 2428
Claim for insurance benefits by purported assignee of policy
Robert A. Olson , Alana H. Rotter

Lyons v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 880
No coverage for insured’s sexual advances
Robert A. Olson

Fuller-Austin Insulation Co. v. Highlands Ins. Company (2006) 135 Cal.App.4th 958
Reversal of $100-plus million, involving extent to which stipulated bankruptcy settlement of asbestos claims could be enforced against bankrupt defendant’s excess insurers
Irving H. Greines , Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Gosnell Development Corp. of Arizona v. Golden Eagle Insurance Co. (1995) 1995 Cal. LEXIS 7399
Scope of insurer’s duty to defend contractor in construction defect litigation
Feris M. Greenberger , Irving H. Greines

Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. MV Transportation (2005) 36 Cal.4th 643
Reimbursement of attorney fees and costs insurer paid for defense when ultimately determined that policy never afforded potential coverage (amicus curiae brief)
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger , Robert A. Olson

396 Investments, Inc. v. Truck Insurance Exchange (2005) 2005 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 4876
Reduction of $25 million punitive damage award to $1 million
Robert A. Olson , Peter O. Israel

Jonathan Neil & Associates, Inc. v. Jones (2004) 33 Cal.4th 917
Scope of administrative agency jurisdiction over insurance rating issues; exhaustion of administrative remedies
Irving H. Greines , Robin Meadow , Peter O. Israel

Cassim v. Allstate Insurance Co. (2004) 33 Cal.4th 780
How Brandt fees should be awarded in contingent fee bad faith cases (amicus curiae brief)
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger , Robert A. Olson

Civil Services Insurance Co. v. Hendrickson (2003, A098288)
Homeowner’s policy coverage for alleged accidental killing
Marc J. Poster , Edward L. Xanders

City of Cypress v. CIPA (2003) (Arbitration Decision)
Denial of insurance coverage to city by joint powers authority
Kent L. Richland , Barbara Springer Perry

Velasquez v. RE/MAX Big Bear (2003) 2003 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 4936
Liability for injuries to homeowner’s guest caused by appliance defectively installed by unlicensed handyman hired by real estate agency
Kent L. Richland , Peter O. Israel

Barratt American, Inc. v. Transcontinental Insurance Company (2001) 102 Cal.App.4th 848
Duty to indemnify real estate developer for repairs and upgrades to homes whose owners never sued the developer
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Hanstad v. Truck Ins. Exchange (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 8605
$40 million punitive damages award reversed because trial court improperly usurped jury’s role in determining facts regarding managing agent’s ratification of tortious conduct
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Surgin Surgical v. Truck Insurance Exchange (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 5582
Interpretation of advertising liability coverage; liability for bad faith
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger , Robert A. Olson

Levitsky v. Farmers Insurance Group of Companies (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 2004
Requirement that medical bills be submitted within 60 days of treatment to be covered
Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Tradewinds Escrow, Inc. v. Truck Ins. Exchange (2002) 97 Cal.App.4th 704
Escrow agent’s commercial general liability policy covered only accidental occurrences, not professional negligence
Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Breiholz v. Farmers Group, Inc. (2001) 2001 Cal. LEXIS 6247
Professional services exclusion included construction contract manager
Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Safeco Ins. Co. v. Robert S. (2001) 26 Cal.4th 758
Insurance coverage for accidental shooting (amicus curiae brief)
Irving H. Greines , Edward L. Xanders

Maxwell v. CSE Insurance (2002) 2002 Cal.App. Unpub. LEXIS 1510
Duty to defend a claim brought by another insured person covered by auto policy
Marc J. Poster , Peter O. Israel

Vollmer v. Farmers Insurance Group of Companies (2000, D029130)
Judgment against attorney in fact and management company for insurer reversed
Irving H. Greines , Robert A. Olson

Mez Industries, Inc. v. Pacific Nat. Ins. Co. (1999) 76 Cal.App.4th 856
Liability insurer’s duty to defend patent infringement action under coverage for advertising injuries
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster , Robert A. Olson , Edward L. Xanders

Midiman v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (1999) 76 Cal.App.4th 102
Carrier’s rejection of insured's choice of counsel did not allow insured to hold carrier to settlement made without carrier’s consent
Irving H. Greines , Robin Meadow , Robert A. Olson

Brifman v. CSE Insurance Group (1999, B120551)
Unclean hands of insured regarding earthquake insurance claim
Marc J. Poster

Quan v. Truck Ins. Exchange (1998) 67 Cal.App.4th 583
Insurance coverage suit concerning interpretation of terms in liability policy
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Truck Insurance Exchange v. Stathoulis (1998) 1998 Cal. LEXIS 6867
Duty to defend insureds in trademark cancellation proceedings in which damages could not be awarded
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Quelimane Company v. Stewart Title Guaranty Co. (1998) 19 Cal.4th 26
Amicus brief explaining how title insurance works in unfair competition case involving title insurers
Robin Meadow , Feris M. Greenberger

Surgin Surgical Instrumentation, Inc. v. Truck Ins. Exchange (1998) 76 Cal.Rptr.2d 303
Reversal of $59.8 million default judgment based on terminating discovery sanctions in insurance bad faith case
Irving H. Greines , Robin Meadow , Robert A. Olson

Dynamic Concepts, Inc. v. Truck Ins. Exchange (1998) 61 Cal.App.4th 999
Policyholder’s unilateral settlement does not trigger duty to provide independent counsel
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster , Robert A. Olson

West American Insurance Co. v. Freeman (1996) 59 Cal. Rptr. 2d 668
Proper standards of review of punitive damage awards, bad faith insurance litigation (amicus curiae brief)
Feris M. Greenberger

Lance Camper Manufacturing Corp. v. Republic Indemnity Co. (1996)
44 Cal.App.4th 194
Exhaustion of administrative remedies not required for employer’s bad faith action against worker’s compensation insurer
Jens B. Koepke

Fire Insurance Exchange v. National Union Fire Insurance (1995, D020312)
Whether summary judgment for insurer in bad faith action was “favorable termination” for subsequent malicious prosecution action
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Lewis v. Superior Court (1994) 30 Cal.App.4th 1850
Proper bases for lis pendens; elements of fraudulent conveyance claim; negligence of title insurer
Robin Meadow

Bank of the West v. Superior Court (Industrial Indemnity Co.) (1992) 2 Cal.4th 1254
Interpretation of “advertising injury” coverage under general liability insurance policy (amicus curiae brief)
Irving H. Greines , Feris M. Greenberger

Harper v. Farmers Insurance Exchange (1992, F016875)
Insurer’s lawyer’s testimony against insurer in bad faith case
Irving H. Greines , Marc J. Poster

Chamberlain v. Allstate Ins. Co. (9th Cir. 1991) 931 F.2d 1361
Insurance coverage and scope of duty to defend
Kent L. Richland

Truck Insurance Exchange v. Superior Court (Lee) (1987, A037331)
Writ proceeding exploring insurer’s duties in case of conflicting interests between named and additional insureds
Feris M. Greenberger

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