Monthly Archives: March 2022

The massive October 5, 2010, Arizona hailstorm spawned significant damage to consumers and business owners across Maricopa County, as well as jury verdicts against those insurance companies that refused to live up to their promises to timely and properly pay for the full amount of damages sustained by their insureds.  American Family Mutual Insurance Company (“American Family”), one of the largest property insurers in Arizona and across the western United States, was recently unanimously found guilty by a federal jury in Phoenix of breaching its contract for full replacement coverage of our client’s commercial office building in the Scottsdale Airpark business park owned after undervaluing the damage by over $210,000.  The jury’s verdict confirmed that American Family’s adjusters at Pacesetter, as well as its home office adjusters and managers, undervalued the damage caused by the wind, hail, and rain to our client’s property by insisting that no more than $30,000 worth of damage to the building’s roof, windows, and exterior was sustained in the storm, despite overwhelming evidence of much more significant losses.

A federal judge recently denied Hartford Ins. Co. of the Midwest’s (“Hartford”s) multiple summary judgment motions designed to dismiss plaintiff’s suit for its wrongful denial of compensation benefits.  Other defendants include Gallagher Bassett (“Gallagher”) – Hartford’s third-party claims handler, and Gallagher’s claim representative assigned to plaintiff’s case file.

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has filed suit against Krogers and Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc., (“Sedgwick”) and its assigned claims adjuster for defendants wrongful acts in handling plaintiff’s claim for an on-the-job injury.

Our client, a devoted and diligent employee of a store owned by Krogers, was in the process of lifting a 50 pound container of frozen bread when sharp lower back pain caused her to drop the box. Since the incident our client has been experiencing spinal pain that radiates through her thighs and calves.

The Texas Tribune recently released an article inquiring into what could be systematic discrimination from insurance companies against minorities attempting to obtain workers’ compensation benefits.

The article focuses on a case handled by an Austin Lawyer who became convinced his client was treated unjustly due to the color of his skin. This caused the lawyer to wonder about the many African American and Hispanic workers seeking legal assistance and their rate of receiving assistance. The reply he received from the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation was disheartening and provided no real answer.

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP has initiated suit against Indemnity Insurance  (“Indemnity”), Gallagher Bassett Claims, Inc. (“Gallagher”), and the assigned claims adjuster for defendants combined efforts in wrongfully processing plaintiff’s claim for workers’ compensation benefits following his at-work injury.