Newsletters

Liability of Car Distributor/Manufacturer in Automobile Accident Cases

When an automobile accident occurs, there can be many causes. Some causes can make a car distributor or manufacturer liable for the injuries and damages in an automobile accident case. For instance, a manufacturer can be liable for damages caused by its failure to exercise reasonable care in the design of an automobile.

Automobile Insurer's Duty to Exercise Good Faith

Among its other duties, an automobile insurance company is required to act in good faith when dealing with an insurance claim. This duty to exercise good faith continues throughout the entire claim process. There is an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing in every insurance contract.

Attorneys Retained by Auto Insurers: Duty to the Insured

When a lawsuit is filed against an automobile insurance company's insured for damages allegedly suffered by a claimant in an automobile accident with the insured, the insurance company has a duty to defend the insured. A part of the insurance company's duty can be the right to retain an attorney for the insured's defense and to pay that attorney's fee. Because the insurance company selects and pays the defense counsel, questions arise regarding who is the attorney's client and whether the attorney owes a duty to only the insured or to both the insured and the insurance company.

Stacking Provisions for Auto-Insurance

Often more than one automobile insurance policy is in effect for vehicles involved in a collision. Sometimes a single insurance policy can contain several types of coverage that could be applied to the accident. When these situations exist, an insured or the passengers in the insured's vehicle may seek to combine the benefits of the multiple coverage provisions in the policy or policies. This is called "stacking." It can also be called "pyramiding."

Theft Coverage in Auto Insurance Policies

Motor vehicles are valuable items of personal property that can be readily moved from one place to another if they come into the possession of persons other than their rightful owners or operators. They are highly useful in an intact condition, and they can also be disassembled in order to obtain and sell their component parts. As a result, thefts of cars and trucks occur in large numbers in the United States. Theft coverage in auto insurance policies has been devised as a means of protecting the owners and operators of motor vehicles from the economic losses caused by auto theft.