Was fire a “wrongful entry”? On September 19, 2012, Charles Korzan and his brother, Michael Korzan, were moving hay bales from Charles’s property in Jones County to his property in Brule County. The weather and crop conditions were dangerously dry. To transport the hay bales, Michael drove a 1998 International 9400 series semi-truck, hauling a 48-foot trailer. Charles drove a similar semi-truck and trailer. Charles owned both semi-trucks and trailers.
Court Decisions
When does bad faith claim accrue? On October 12, 2007, Ronald Brown rear-ended Christina Connelly’s Chevrolet Cavalier with his Dodge Caravan. Brown was insured under a State Farm policy that provided automobile liability coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence. When Connelly sued Brown for injuries she suffered as a result of the crash, State Farm provided Brown legal counsel in accordance with his policy. Under the policy,
UM dispute: Challenge to other-owned-vehicle exclusion On August 15, 2012, Paul Galipeau was killed in a motor vehicle accident while riding his motorcycle. With the consent of his automobile insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, his estate settled a claim against the party at fault for $50,000, the limit of that party’s liability policy. Galipeau and his wife, Judith, the personal representative of his estate, were insured under four
Watch your language: Notice wording bites insurer Tim Clark was injured in a car accident in Missouri in 2010. The driver of the other vehicle, Carla Zender, was at fault. Zender carried a $100,000 automobile liability policy, and Clark settled with her and her insurer for that amount. In consideration of the settlement, Clark released Zender and her insurer from further liability arising out of the accident. Clark did not
Loose log wreaks havoc: Must UM insurer pay? On February 15, 2012, James Lawrence Bennett was traveling west on Georgia 32 in Brantley County while driving a Freightliner tractor-trailer truck. He was traveling alone, and the truck was empty at the time. A tractor-trailer hauling a load of logs approached him traveling in the opposite direction. It was undisputed that, as the two tractor-trailers passed each other, a log hanging
