The Role of Personal Counsel

When your insurance company refuses to defend you, or refuses to settle a case where you are a defendant, exposing you to a potential excess judgment, you need personal counsel. Contact Taffet Law, P.C. in Boulder, Colorado 720-565-4074.

Attorney Steven Taffet began his legal career in 1978, and is known to other attorneys as a legal expert in insurance law cases. Contact Taffet Law, P.C., when you have questions concerning your claim, why your insurance company has denied coverage, or other matters involving litigation insurance.

AVOIDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The defense attorney your insurance company assigns is the wrong attorney to give you insurance coverage advice. The insurance defense attorney, retained and paid by your insurance company, has a built-in conflict of interest. You need independent coverage advice. If your insurer sends you a “Reservation of Rights”, contact us at (720)565-4074 immediately to discuss the situation.

The Importance of Personal Counsel

Personal counsel is the policyholder’s coverage counsel and adviser. Personal counsel works for you, the policyholder, with opportunities to influence plaintiff’s counsel, insurance defense counsel, the insurer’s claim representative/coverage counsel, and, when a settlement conference occurs, the mediator.

The Must See Documents:
Insurance Policy | Reservation of Rights Letters | Coverage Denial Letters | Complaint

Litigation Insurance

Liability insurance is often referred to as “litigation insurance” because most liability policies obligate the insurer to provide a defense against claims that arguably fall within the scope of coverage. These policies also obligate the insurer to pay to settle claims. When the insurer refuses to indemnify policyholders against judgments contact Taffet Law, P.C.

Applicable Law

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The duty to defend and the duty to indemnify are separate and distinct. An insurer seeking to avoid its duty to defend an insured bears a heavy burden. Hecla Min. Co. v. New Hampshire Ins. Co.

811 P.2d 1083, 1086 (Colo.,1991)
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The duty to defend is broader than the duty to indemnify and the determination of whether an insurer has a duty to defend lies within the four corners of the complaint. Cyprus Amax Minerals Co. v. Lexington Ins. Co.

74 P.3d 294, 299 (Colo. 2003)
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An insurer’s duty to defend arises when the underlying complaint against the insured alleges any facts that might fall within the coverage of the policy. Douglass v. Hartford Ins. Co.

602 F.2d 934, 937 (10th Cir.1979)

Phone Number

 

720-565-4074

Service Area

Boulder, Denver, & All of Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, & New Mexico

E-Mail

st@taffetlaw.com

Address

The Historic Highland Building
885 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302

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