INSURANCE: $2.5 million punitives for failure to unconditionally pay UIM to motorcyclist’s estate cut to $1,064,282.44 (4-1 ratio)… attorney expert testimony upheld… new trial not warranted by failure to produce documents during time Plaintiff and attorney conferred as “friends”… Anderson affirmed, reversed (unpublished). [Read more…]
Insurance, stipulated $29 million reasonableness
INSURANCE: Reasonableness of $29 million stipulated judgment for breach of duty to defend improperly considered solely from perspective of uninsured Defendants, remanded for 2nd hearing and objective consideration of merits of underlying case and value to a prudent uninsured of confessing judgment… ESOP payouts not required to be deducted from $29 million but may be considered in reasonableness of settlement… Plaintiffs will be entitled to postjudgment interest if settlement approved following 2nd hearing, but not to prejudgment interest… Townsend reversed, affirmed. [Read more…]
$3,146,185 fees, $29M ESOP stipulated judgment
ATTORNEY FEES: $3,146,185 fees, $89,153 costs awarded in $29 million settlement/stipulated judgment and assignment of rights by grocery chain executives to 35 ESOP participants… $35,816,986 total judgment with $6,816,986 prejudgment interest… appeal bond waived for $26 billion insurer… Townsend. [Read more…]
Insurance, $29 million ESOP settlement, defend
INSURANCE: $29 million settlement by 35 ESOP participants and grocery chain executives found reasonable following reasonableness hearing on remand from Supreme Court holding that insurer breached duty to defend and was estopped from denying coverage and no evidence of collusion but reasonableness hearing required… $29 million judgment against insurer… Townsend. [Read more…]
Insurance, duty to defend, stipulated judgment
INSURANCE: Court correctly found, without coverage analysis, that insurer breached duty to defend after recognizing policy potentially implicated, estopped from denying coverage… $29 million stipulated judgment improperly granted without [Read more…]
Zoning, power plant, spot zoning, mootness
ZONING: Claim of spot zoning from Agricultural to Heavy Industrial to accommodate power plant not mooted by amendment of unrelated zoning regulations, no quantifiable evidence adduced in support of argument that claim moot [Read more…]
Supervisory control, re-zoning/electric plant
SUPERVISORY CONTROL granted under urgency rationale in re-zoning/electric plant dispute to require Phillips to resolve remaining claims and issue final judgment, after which opponents can appeal and seek stay or injunction… order. [Read more…]