The Denver Law Firm

06/17/2024

Pet Owners Beware: Nationwide is dropping 100,000 pet insurance policies

Nationwide Insurance said it will not renew about 100,000 pet insurance policies because of a rise in inflation in veterinary care and other factors.

11/07/2023

This is a really solid article describing the artificial, self-serving manner medical insurance companies arbitrarily deny legitimate requests for treatment - and how talented attorneys can help stand up to them. It also highlights how federal law is grossly tilted in favor of insurance companies and against their policyholders and the need to reform existing laws to allow for punitive damages for bad faith denials of claims.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield denied payment for the proton therapy Robert “Skeeter” Salim’s doctor ordered to fight his throat cancer. But he was no ordinary patient. He was a celebrated litigator. And he was ready to fight.

07/12/2023

New York insurance policyholders who have suffered damages in the recent storms should strongly consider submitting verifiable claims to BOTH their homeowners and flood insurance carriers. Please contact The Denver Law Firm with any questions about how to pursue your claims.

03/23/2023

Have you seen this Matawan contractor accused of theft from homeowners? Kudos to South Brunswick Police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office for pursuing this case of serial fraud. I have represented many homeowners who had to sue contractors civilly under the NJ Consumer Fraud Act, in part, because local police and prosecutors are frequently reluctant to actively investigate and pursue these fraud claims.

This contractor is accused of stealing $250,000 from various clients over the past seven years. He remains at large:

03/14/2023

Insurance companies willingly contract to take on risk. But all too frequently they prioritize their profits over their policyholders, who suffer as a result. This article examines the senseless reduction in claim payments by one insurer, with one insurance claim adjuster admitting “I wrote 44 reports for Heritage Property & Casualty, and 100 percent of them were altered to where I did not recognize them. Every single one ...They manipulated our estimates without actually collaborating..." One policyholder describes the impact of these self-serving claim reductions: “They are ruining people’s lives. They are ruining my life,” the 69-year-old said. “I tell them I’m going to go bankrupt if they don’t pay me, but they don’t care.” This is why policyholder counsel fight so hard for our clients, but the courts and regulators need to do a better job stopping this abusive behavior from insurance companies before it ruins more lives.

After Hurricane Ian, Florida insurance companies have been aggressively seeking to limit payouts by altering the work of licensed adjusters trained to assess damaged homes, according to a Washington Post investigation. As a result, homeowners are left footing most of the bill for repairs.

11/11/2022

NJ Contractor Pleads Guilty to Theft, But No Jail Time: This story gives me hope for homeowners who are ripped off by crooked contractors - but also frustrates me. On the one hand, I applaud the Mon Co Prosecutor's office for pursing this theft and getting a restitution order- Its typically very hard getting NJ prosecutors to take these cases seriously. But how much money does someone need to steal before they face actual jail time?

A former contractor who admitted stealing thousands of dollars from a client who had hired him to build a home in Ocean Township will not see the inside of a jail cell, authorities said. Mihkel Grunbaum, 49, of Monmouth Beach was sentenced by a superior court judge to two years of probation and was....

10/03/2022

If you know someone impacted by the hurricane who has suffered loss please be patient and understanding with them. Losing all or part of your home is an extremely traumatic experience. At the same time, please encourage them not to "shut down" and instead be proactive - notify their homeowners insurance carrier, notify their flood carrier (they may be at odds) and notify their umbrella carrier (if they have one). We all buy insurance for this very circumstance, now is the time to use it.

07/20/2022

We all know that insurance companies go to great lenghts to resist paying claims - well it turns out that even the Illinois Department of Insurance (which presumably understands its coverage pretty well) can't get timely payment from its insurance companies and has had to resort to litigation. https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1513116/ill-insurance-department-seeks-4m-in-wire-fraud-coverage?nl_pk=3bfffe05-cdda-4c24-b10a-05765406db33&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insurance&utm_content=2022-07-20

The Illinois Department of Insurance sued Hartford and Munich Re units in federal court Tuesday, seeking $3.98 million in cyber coverage after one of its administrative offices fell victim to a wire fraud scheme last summer.

05/09/2022

NJ Auto Insurance Update: A New Jersey court has refused to apply a "hidden trap" exclusion that would greatly reduce coverage for family members involved in an accident. https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1490893/hidden-auto-policy-exclusion-unenforceable-nj-panel-says?nl_pk=3bfffe05-cdda-4c24-b10a-05765406db33&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=insurance&utm_content=2022-05-09

A New Jersey appellate panel on Friday upheld a policyholder's win in a coverage dispute with a Travelers unit, saying an intrafamily step-down exclusion acted as a "hidden trap" in a family's auto policy.

04/18/2022

ATV Owners Alert: Virginia Supreme Court rules ATV is not a "farm vehicle" and off-property accident is not covered under homeowners policy. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2022/04/18/663413.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is not a "farm type vehicle" covered by a homeowner's insurance policy, reversing a

12/01/2021

If you were impacted by Hurricane Ida you have until December 6th to get in your FEMA claim, so get on it!
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/2021/12/01/nj-ida-fema-aid-deadline-december/8809490002/

New Jersey renters and homeowners who suffered home damage or property loss due to Ida have until Dec. 6 to apply for federal disaster assistance.

09/07/2021

Many people are now dealing with insurance issues arising from Hurricane Ida. Here are a few quick suggestions to protect your rights to insurance coverage:
- First, put your insurance company on notice of any claims – if your broker is “too busy” to handle it for you then do it yourself (the policy usually has a provision on how to give notice). This will allow the insurance carrier to send an adjuster out to review the damage (hopefully soon).
- Next, document EVERYTHING you can relating to the loss including taking lots and lots of photos. If you have to throw out anything on an urgent basis (due to mold or in response to a government order, etc.) take pictures of what is being destroyed or thrown out. If you are displaced keep receipts of all rent/hotel bills, food bills and other out of pocket expenses since those costs may be covered.
- Last (and most important) don’t lose the claim by giving up right away. A client recently told me his insurance adjuster informed him on the first day there was no coverage for his loss - and the adjuster had not even been to the property! This is not a good faith coverage determination and obviously could be erroneous. So even if the insurance adjuster initially tells you the loss is not covered, make sure you preserve your rights to all insurance coverage proceeds that you are owed.

05/20/2021

Proud to be part of such an amazing group of speakers.

02/04/2021

Join Bill Denver and other great speakers for a practical, optimistic and uplifting New Jersey State Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference as seasoned and successful practitioners demonstrate not just how to survive, but how to thrive in in the new year. We’ll begin the day with an inspiring and motivating kickoff presentation. Then, we’ll move into successive round table discussions on topics that will help your practice grow and flourish.

Zoom in for a day that will energize you and set you on a course for a triumphant 2021. Don’t miss it! Be sure to register at https://lnkd.in/deTvMjw and SHARE with any other attorneys you may know that would benefit and would want to earn up to 6.3 CLE credits.

01/27/2021

On February 20, 2021 the NJSBA Solo and Small Firm Section (which I currently chair) will be hosting an all day webinar conference entitled "Surviving and Thriving in 2021". We have an amazing lineup of speakers discussing important topics that provide helpful insight for successfully running a law firm. For all the lawyers out there, I hope you can attend: Here is the sign up link: https://tcms.njsba.com/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1699&productId=64236520

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you require immediate assistance, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 732.214.8500.

01/15/2021

Breaking: UK's highest court rules insurance carriers must pay COVID business interruption claims. UK courts continue to protect policyholder businesses unlike many US courts which takes very pro-insurance carrier positions on this ongoing coverage dispute. https://www.law360.com/insurance/articles/1344546

The U.K. Supreme Court ruled Friday that insurers must pay out to hundreds of thousands of companies forced to close during the country's first pandemic lockdown, ruling in favor of the Financial Conduct Authority in a landmark case over business interruption cover.