Insurance

Complex and rapidly evolving, the insurance industry is highly regulated and always subject to emerging risks and market forces.  When the intensity of floods and extreme weather common in the Gulf Coast region is added, the value of a legal team who keeps pace with this dynamic industry becomes apparent.  Stone Pigman has a broad base of insurance industry experience – from class action defense and litigation to regulatory cases, coverage disputes, first party defense and more.

In addition to extensive insurance litigation experience with major domestic insurers and international insurers, including the London Market underwriters and companies, Stone Pigman attorneys have experience handling smaller claims and dealing with local insurance underwriters and agents.  In every case, and with every client, we draw on decades of institutional knowledge to offer strategic counsel and optimal solutions.

Class and Mass Actions

We represent insurers in class action litigation and mass actions involving, among other issues: policy coverage interpretations and alleged bad faith claims handling procedures, property and casualty damage from catastrophes, mold, fire, explosions, and marine accidents, and regulatory compliance.  We have served as counsel to insurers in hurricane-related class actions and complex litigation throughout the Gulf Coast region arising out of floods and extreme weather.

Coverage and Liability

We have handled cases in a range of areas under comprehensive general liability policies, including property damage, personal injury and products liability claims; property and casualty policies; errors and omissions policies; D&O policies, protection and indemnity coverage; employer liability coverage; and automobile policies.

Regulatory

Stone Pigman lawyers have experience in insurance regulatory matters including negotiations, litigation and administrative proceedings in Louisiana and other jurisdictions; forms-filing issues; statutory accounting issues; and market conduct inquiries and rate commission hearings involving legal issues.

Our Experience

A few examples of Stone Pigman’s experience in the Insurance Industry:

• Obtained dismissal of COVID coverage lawsuits filed in federal court in New Orleans against a major property and casualty insurer.
• In an antitrust mass action brought by the Louisiana state attorney general against the insurance industry as a whole, we successfully represented a major insurer and presented the winning argument on behalf of all insurer defendants in court.
• Achieved a favorable settlement for a D&O insurer in a first party lawsuit brought under the Louisiana Direct Action Statute in federal court in New Orleans over the alleged wrongdoing, including breach of fiduciary duties, by insured directors and offices of a failed company.
• Secured the dismissal of multiple class actions brought against a leading national property and casualty insurer after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• Defended a major insurance company against multiple class action filings involving disputes over new policy forms.
• Defended a major insurance company against class action filings challenging the methodology employed to calculate damages on totaled automobile claims.
• Defended a major insurance company involving property damage and bad faith claims, relating to arson investigation of fire damage claim.