US Law Fall 2011 Client Conference Power Point Bad Faith And Class Actions

Bad Faith and Class Actions

Daniel W. GerberGoldberg Segalla LLP

dgerber@goldbergsegalla.com

Bad Faith Top 7 in 5

• Reverse Bad Faith– Insured owes insurer duty to

meet certain standards.– Insured breached duty –

interfered with claims handling.

– Insurer’s ability to adjust claim interfered with.

– Insured’s bad faith claim barred.

– Apportion Damages Based on Comparative Fault.

• INSURER’S DUTY TO INVESTIGATE – Standard of Review– Policy Language

• THE APPLICATION PROCESS– Agents– Insurers

• EXPERT TESTIMONY - Is expert testimony allowed in bad faith litigation?

• COMMUNICATIONS TO INSURED

• POST LITIGATION CONDUCT - Is post-litigation conduct admissible in a bad faith action?

• CLASS ACTIONS – Elements:

• Numerosity• Commonality• Typicality• Adequacy

• CLASS ACTIONS – Kartman v. State Farm

Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., Case No. 09-1725, 7th Cir.; 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 2830 (2/14/11).

– Oravsky v. Encompass Insurance Co., Civ. No. 10-3168 (JAP) (D. N.J.)(4/28/11)

Thank you!!!!!!

I am out of time

Documents