News & Events

Workplace accidents can result in serious injuries or death. Workers’ compensation insurance is required by Florida law for all employers who have four or more employees working for their company. Construction companies in Florida are required to provide this insurance for every employee, no matter how many employees are currently employed. This coverage is designed to provide financial compensation that covers injuries suffered by an employee while on the job. The compensation may cover medical costs, lost wages, other recovery-related costs, as well as funeral and burial costs in the tragic event of an employee's death at work. Employers who abide by state law and acquire either private or state workers’ compensation insurance, or self-insure, are given strong protection against their employees suing them and the company itself having to cover expenses from workplace injuries. This immunity to civil lawsuits has incredibly few exceptions, but when met, those exceptions can disrupt the course of business and cause serious harm to the company. 

Cristobal Casal, managing partner, and Elliott Tubbs, an associate, in the firm’s Fort Myers office, obtained a defense verdict in a first party property case tried over 2 days in Lee County, Florida.  Plaintiff was a water mitigation contractor and claimed that the home was damaged as a result of Hurricane Irma and that the insurance carrier breached the subject policy of insurance by denying the claim.  The jury found that the Plaintiff had not met their burden of proving that the home was damaged within the policy period.

Tom McCausland, Seth Goldberg, and Hinda Klein, partners in our Hollywood office, and May Swartz, a partner in our Tallahassee office, recently tried a trucking accident case in Orange County, in which the Plaintiff sought in excess of $4 million in damages.  The defense admitted negligence, but disputed causation and permanency.  The jury determined that the Plaintiff did not sustain a permanent injury in the accident and awarded her approximately $29,000 in damages, well below what had previously been offered.

Insurers must be consistently aware of their loss and expense ratios while fulfilling the needs of their policyholders and meeting all legal requirements as an insurance company. Managing risk while remaining profitable can be difficult and insurers must be proactive in managing the cost of each litigated claim. This means acquiring and retaining experienced insurance coverage representation. For more than 40 years, Conroy Simberg has provided comprehensive representation to insurers across the nation, including in the state of Georgia. We are prepared to represent insurers in coverage disputes through every step of the claims and legal process, including avoiding unnecessary litigation whenever possible. We are familiar with the extreme pressures that our clients are under and are here to help provide reassurance through our knowledgeable and experienced legal advice and representation in coverage matters.