Articles by Denise Johnson

Navigating Construction Accident Litigation

Between 2006 and 2008, there were 7,461 claims involving falls resulting in $243 million-plus in reserves, according to Bradford S. Purcell, a partner at the Illinois-based law firm of Purcell & Wardrope. During that period, 23 percent of construction accident …

Consumer Group Says Auto Insurers ‘Lowball’ Injury Payments with Computerized Systems

A report by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) raises concerns that computerized claims systems used by many of the nation’s largest auto insurance companies can be easily adjusted to make “lowball” claims payments to injured motorists. The group said …

Why Workers’ Compensation Claimants Hire Attorneys

Workplace trust, fear of claim denial and injury severity are the main reasons for attorney representation in workers’ compensation claims, according to Bogdan Savych, a public policy analyst with the Workers Compensation Research Institute. In a recent study of 11 …

After Joplin Tornado, Town Looked Like a War Zone, Adjusters Say

“One of the eeriest things was … the lack of noise. There were no birds. There was no sound. There was no vegetation. There was nothing. There were no dogs. There were no cars. It was just mounds of rubble,” …

Joplin, Missouri: One Year Later

After the Tornado, Town Looked Like a War Zone, Adjusters Say “One of the eeriest things was … the lack of noise. There were no birds. There was no sound. There was no vegetation. There was nothing. There were no …

When Alcohol-Related Injury Allegations Strike

Understanding Premises Liability and Dram Shop Liability Triggers Claims involving allegations of alcohol intoxication require careful analysis when determining what policy or policies may apply. John P. Cunningham and Julia B. Jackson say two common theories centered on alcohol-related allegations …

Value of Texas ‘Loser Pays’ Statute Questioned

A law in Texas that assigns court costs to “losers” in cases deemed to be “frivolous” is not all that effective, says one Austin-based attorney. Joanna Salinas, partner and manager of the Austin-based law firm of Fletcher, Farley, Shipman & …

Texas 2011 Legislative Update

Ambulance-chasing attorneys, frivolous lawsuit filings and contractual indemnification clauses were all subjects addressed by the Texas 2011 legislative session. Joanna Salinas, partner and manager of the Austin-based law firm of Fletcher, Farley, Shipman & Salinas, provided an update on the …

Insurers Brace for Cold Weather Claims

Though summer weather is associated with devastating catastrophe losses, the winter season can be equally busy from a claims perspective. The third-largest cause of catastrophic losses behind hurricanes and tornadoes, winter storms resulted in almost $26 billion in insured losses …

Insurance Adjusters Brace for Cold Weather Claims

Though summer weather is associated with devastating catastrophe losses, the winter holiday season can be equally busy for insurance adjusters. The third-largest cause of catastrophic losses behind hurricanes and tornadoes, winter storms resulted in almost $26 billion in insured losses …