Summers, McDonnell, Hudock, Guthrie & Rauch, P.C.

$2

Insurance Defense

In Myers v. GEICO, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted summary judgment in favor of GEICO, ruling that an insurer could rely on extrinsic evidence to determine if someone was an insured, even if the complaint alleged permission. This allowed GEICO to deny defense to Tatiana Chapman, who drove an insured vehicle without permission and caused an accident. The plaintiff had obtained a $1.5 million consent judgment against Chapman after GEICO tendered the policy's $15,000 limit for the permissive user. The firm handled this case for GEICO.

Insurance Coverage

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied the plaintiff's bar's emergency application to exercise King's Bench jurisdiction and consolidate all COVID business interruption claims across the state. The firm represented Erie Insurance Company, which successfully argued against the consolidation, asserting that the private coverage dispute did not raise issues of immediate public importance and that trial courts were capable of handling such disputes.

$806,000

Asbestos Litigation

In Roverano v. John Crane, Inc., the Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed a trial court's decision that had apportioned a $5.2 million verdict for Mr. Roverano and $1.25 million for Mrs. Roverano among eight defendants. The Superior Court held that the Fair Share Act, which limits liability for defendants found less than 60% responsible, applies to asbestos cases, leading to a reversal of the $806,000 liability apportioned to the firm's clients, John Crane, Inc. and Brand Insulations, Inc. The Supreme Court heard arguments on this issue in 2019.