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.

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

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• THE APPLICATION PROCESS– Agents– Insurers

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

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• COMMUNICATIONS TO INSURED

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

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• CLASS ACTIONS – Elements:

• Numerosity• Commonality• Typicality• Adequacy

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• 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!!!!!!

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