Category Archives: Uncategorized

insurance companies or corporate defendants and their lawyers frequently ask courts to “bifurcate” trial and discovery in cases involving breach of contract and bad faith claims. That means the insurance company wants the court to order separate trials and separate discovery periods on the different causes of action an insured brings against the carrier inContinue reading “Daly & Black, P.C., Wins Bifurcation Battle in Nebraska”

A couple of days ago, we told you that Texas’s biggest insurance companies celebrated their record profitability in 2013 by imposing significant rate hikes on their policyholders. While the Texas Department of Insurance has refused to step in thus far despite complaints from consumer advocates, a settlement between the TDI and State Farm was announcedContinue reading “State Farm Busted: It Settles with The Texas Department of Insurance, and Must Refund $352 Million in Excessive Premiums”

Last week, we told you about allegations that insurance carriers altered documents to avoid paying claims in cases arising from Hurricane Sandy. In case you missed it, you can find it here. Just two days after we posted our blog entry, the federal judges overseeing the administration of hundreds of Sandy claims held an emergency hearingContinue reading “Insurance Company Lawyers Try to Silence Hurricane Sandy Victims, Prevent Investigation of Fraud”

After a very profitable 2013, Texas’s three biggest insurance companies – State Farm, Allstate, and Farmers – are expected to release their premium and loss numbers for 2014 in the next few weeks. 2013 was one of State Farm’s best years in recent history. The insurance giant’s “loss ratio” – the percentage of premiums itContinue reading “Insurance Companies Make More, Charge More”

The New York Times reported this week that lawyers representing New York and New Jersey homeowners in first party insurance cases have identified hundreds of engineering reports that they believe were doctored by insurance companies or corporate defendants seeking to wrongfully deny or underpay claims related to damages caused by Hurricane Sandy. The state’s attorneyContinue reading “Insurance Companies May Have Altered Damage Reports”

On October 31, 2014, without hearing oral argument, the Supreme Court of Texas issued what might seem, on the surface, to be a blow to policyholders seeking discovery from insurance companies or corporate defendants in lawsuits alleging wrongful denial and underpayment of claims. We fully expect insurance companies or corporate defendants and their lawyers, whoContinue reading “Texas Supreme Court Opinion Likely to be Misused by Insurers”

This Past week Texas Lawyer named Daly and Black their “Litigators of the Week” for a jury trial victory against State Farm, an insurer that repeatedly delays, denies, and unfairly handles claims. The text of the article, published November 3, 2014, follows: When John Scott Black directly examined his law firm partner Richard Daly atContinue reading “Daly and Black’s State Farm Victory Earns them Texas Lawyer’s “Litigators of the Week””

Consumers all over the United States are (more and more) starting to see “cosmetic damage endorsements” contained in their policies, or offered by their trusted insurance brokers. Insurance agents will try to persuade you that these cosmetic damage endorsements are “no big deal,” and do not affect any fundamental elements of your coverage. insurance companiesContinue reading “Cosmetic Damage Endorsements: Don’t Be Fooled”

Time to Tell Your Local Lawmaker You Don’t Want Your Rights Eliminated When insurance companies or corporate defendants lose at the courthouse, they hire their powerful lobbyists to change the laws – and the changes are never designed to help ordinary people or small businesses. The changes are usually aimed at taking away your rights,Continue reading “Texas Insurers Support Bad Insurance Practices in Upcoming Legislative Session”

The Fourteenth Court of Appeals recently held that injuries independent from underpaid policy benefits are not required under the Insurance Code when the policyholder also establishes a breach of contract. [1] Why are insurance companies or corporate defendants not happy with the decision? insurance companies or corporate defendants typically argue that in the absence of an independentContinue reading “Texas Fourteenth Court of Appeals: Texas Policyholders Dealt a Better Hand”