They All Did It: Unascertainable and Merged Causes
On Subrogation
In subrogation, we typically deal with torts. Generally, these are based on negligence, which means that the central question is one of causation: we must prove that the Defendant’s actions or failure to act were both the actual and proximate cause of the Plaintiff’s damages. But what if there are not one, but two negligent defendants? That may sound like a great problem to have, but when you can’t prove which defendant’s breach caused the plaintiff’s harm, meeting the causation requirement can get tricky. On this week’s episode, join and as they sort out two...
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Refresh: 3rd Party: Owner & Vicarious Liability
On Subrogation
This week, join us as we revisit our episode on 3rd Party: Owner & Vicarious Liability Original Air Date: March 5, 2021 How do you recover damages if your tort driver is uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise uncollectable? What is the risk to lending your car to your drunk friend? (spoiler: don't do this). In this, our first in a multi-part series on third-party liability, and discuss when and how the owner of a vehicle will be vicariously liable for damages cased by a different driver, by statute, common law, or by negligent entrustment. As a...
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Statutes of Repose
On Subrogation
Time, time, time. It’s not always on our side. We are, generally, aware of Statutes of Limitations, which allow only a certain amount of time after a cause of action has accrued to file a lawsuit. So, what if your damages are caused by a latent defect that is only discovered years after the tortfeasor completed work on, say, a house? Since your statute of limitations does not begin to run until the damage is discovered, you’re in the clear right? Not so fast. You may be barred by the running of another time limit: the Statute of Repose. That’s...
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Refresh: Statute of Limitations – Are You SOL?
On Subrogation
This week, join us as we revisit our episode on Statute of Limitations as a refresher! Original Air Date: March 26, 2019 When is it too late to file a lawsuit for your damages? There’s a stat for that! The details, however, depend on a number of factors. Join and as they discuss statutes of limitations and how the jurisdiction, type of claim, specific circumstances of the loss, and even whether or not arbitration applies can affect the timing in which you must bring your claim. Make sure you aren’t late for this very important date!
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Flame Wars: Dumbest Ways to Start a Fire - 100th Episode
On Subrogation
It’s our 100th episode! What better way to commemorate this milestone than to look back at the dumbest ways we have seen people start fires? On this week’s episode, and reminisce on some of the most senseless cases that have come across our desks where pure, avoidable, negligence caused significant damage. From cigarettes to chicken wings to trampolines, there is seemingly no end to the interesting ways tortfeasors have caused subrogation claims from fires.
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Refresh: When Animals Attack! Dog Bites
On Subrogation
This week, join us as we revisit our episode on When Animals Attack as a refresher! Original Air Date: March 10, 2020 People love their pets, but sometimes, pets don't love other people. What happens when your insured is attacked by an animal? Is the owner liable? What do you need to prove, and what defenses might you face? Is there really such a thing as a "one-bite" rule? Join and as they survey several states to discuss some dogs that were not good boys. You can find a list of states and their dog owner liability statutes, or...
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Right to Repair/ Right to Cure
On Subrogation
In the world of subrogation, setting your claim up for successful litigation does not begin with the filing of a complaint. Beyond preserving evidence, there are certain statutory requirements that plaintiffs in some claims must satisfy before the suit even begins. If your claim involves a claim that a construction company or contractor failed in their responsibilities, you may have to give them a chance to fix the problem. Not every state recognizes the Right to Repair or Right to Cure, but when it comes to construction defect cases, you need to know if your jurisdiction...
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Refresh: Say Cheese: What Happens When You Don’t Control Your Proof
On Subrogation
This week, join us as we revisit our episode on When You Don’t Control Your Proof as a refresher! Original Air Date: February 11, 2020 Plaintiffs have to be able to prove their cases. It's true for individual litigants and subrogated carriers, but sometimes, you don't actually own your proof, you don't control it, and that can wreak havoc on your file. On this episode, forces to relive one such case, known around our office as "The Cheese Case," to tell the cautionary tale of what happens when you don't control your proof.
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Digital License Plates
On Subrogation
The latest connected item in the internet of things is license plates. While only available for purchase in four states, they are legal to drive with in all 50 states and allow drivers to customize their plate along with ease the registration process. Digitizing all aspects of life typically seems enticing, but do these digital license plates call personal privacy into question? From the pros of more easily recovering stolen vehicles, to concerns about tracking movements, join and on this week’s episode as they navigate this new technology.
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Refresh: Collateral Source Rule: Citation Not Needed
On Subrogation
This week, join us as we revisit our episode on The Collateral Source Rule as a refresher! Original Air Date: January 28, 2020 It’s a noun! It’s an adjective! It’s a rule of damages! It’s a rule of evidence! The Collateral Source Rule is all of these things and more. Join and as they discuss the two different but related facets of the Collateral Source Rule, and why it is so common in subrogation cases, where subrogated carriers often are the collateral source at issue.
info_outlineProducts liability cases typically live in civil court, but that all changed in 2023 when the Department of Justice brought its first ever criminal enforcement action under the Consumer Product Safety Act against Gree USA and its CEO and Chief Administrative Officer. The company’s guilty plea was years in the making after Gree USA willfully and repeatedly failed to report serious safety concerns to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), leading to the Commission’s first ever corporate criminal enforcement action.
On this week’s episode, Rebecca and Steve will guide you through the tumultuous, decade long saga that shows how corporate avoidance of a major product defect can result not just in subrogation and personal injury actions, but in multi-million dollar fines and reparations.