Strategies, Challenges, and Answers

Where An Insurance Company Breaches Its Duty To Defend, It Can Be Liable For An Excess Verdict Even If The Company Did Not Act In Bad Faith

Ryan Pretner suffered critical injuries when he was hit by a truck driven by Michael Vasquez.  Mr. Vasquez’s truck was covered by two auto policies, his personal policy, and his business auto policy.  His personal insurance with Progressive had a limit of $100,000 per person.  His commercial auto policy with Century Surety Company had a $1,000,000 limit. Century Surety conducted an investigation and determined that Mr. Vasquez was not in the course and scope of his business as an auto … [Read more...]

A Tale of Two Lawsuits.

It was the best of times for Nevada Direct Insurance Company. It was the worst of times for injured parties Michael and Sharon Smith. You see, the Smiths were hurt in an auto accident with a Nevada Direct policyholder Kuperman. Nevada Direct tried unsuccessfully to enlist Kuperman's cooperation in dealing with the Smiths’ claim. When Kuperman failed to cooperate, Nevada Direct filed a declaratory relief action against Kuperman, the Smiths and another injured party, Ms. Fields claiming the … [Read more...]

LexisNexis Names Nevada Insurance Law As A Top Insurance Law Blog For 2011

The Advisory Board of the LexisNexis Insurance Law Community has selected Mills & Associates' Nevada Insurance Law as one of the nation’s Top Insurance Law Blogs for 2011.  The Advisory Board described what it saw in the winning blogs. The Top Blogs contain some of the best writing out there on insurance law.  They contain a wealth of information for the insurance law community with timely news items, practical information, expert analysis, practice tips, frequent postings, and helpful … [Read more...]

Got Questions?

These posts on the Mills & Associates Nevada Insurance Law blog are published to provide useful insights on Nevada insurance law to our clients and other subscribers. Many times the topics are suggested by recent case law, or issues raised by litigation. As part of our ongoing effort to provide both timely and helpful information, we invite all our readers to submit issues which they would like to see addressed in future blog posts. Likewise, please submit questions concerning prior … [Read more...]

Default Is Not Necessarily Defeat

It’s bound to happen eventually.  A lawsuit gets filed.  The insured is served with a summons and complaint.  But rather than notifying the carrier, the insured defendant does NOTHING.  Under Nevada law, if a defendant does not file an appearance within 20 days after service, the non-answering defendant is in default.  See N.R.C.P. 12(a)(1).  Fortunately all is not lost. Defaults are governed by N.R.C.P. 55 which reads: RULE 55.  DEFAULT (a) Entry.  When a party against whom a judgment … [Read more...]