The Devil is in the Details

Posts Tagged ‘property damage’

 

The Devil is in the Details

Posted on: January 14th, 2023 by David Lipson

The Devil is in the Details: Navigating Policy Limit Demands to Avoid Malpractice Exposure

It’s late Friday afternoon before a holiday, and you decide to leave early to get a head start on the long weekend. The office mail delivery is behind schedule and arrives after you leave. In your mail is a lengthy settlement demand letter in a personal injury case for which you have recently been retained by an insurance company to represent its insured. The letter arrived by certified mail. It demands payment of the full $500,000 limit of liability of your client’s insurance policy, in exchange for a release. The letter specifies that the demand will remain open for ten days. Buried on page fifteen of the letter is a requirement that all communications regarding the demand be in writing.

You take a much-needed extra day off and return to the office on Tuesday. The demand letter is waiting for you on your desk. You have only done a preliminary analysis of the claim but, based on your initial review, you believe the case likely warrants an early policy limits settlement. The plaintiff’s injuries are clearly significant (as reflected in the partial medical records enclosed with the demand.) It is likely that your client will be found at least partially responsible for the accident, and the $500,000 limit will be reduced by what are likely to be significant defense costs. Nevertheless, you think it prudent to complete your analysis and obtain additional documentation before making any recommendation to the client and the client’s insurer.

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