Insurance Defense: What Business Owners Should Know

NEWS | The Towne Law Firm, P.C.

ALBANY, N.Y. – What most business owners don’t realize is that their general liability insurance, professional liability insurance and commercial property insurance policies usually contain a provision that allows the insured to choose who represents them. For example, say you own a local motel and a guest slips and falls in the hallway. The guest files a personal injury action claiming negligence against the motel owner. Premise liability is almost always a covered incident in a general liability insurance policy.

With that said, instead of being assigned counsel by the insurance company, you as the motel owner would be able to select your own attorney. Maybe you have been working closely with counsel who has handled your day-to-day affairs and are more comfortable fashioning a defense strategy to combat this personal injury action with them. As the insured, YOU have the choice to choose who represents you and your business and the insurance company foots the bill[1].

What most insurance companies are looking for when it comes to an insurance defense attorney is someone who is capable of protecting their insured, properly valuing a case and limiting the insurance company’s exposure. Insurance companies expect to be regularly apprised of the status of any particular file with informative reports that provide valuable insight as to liability and damages and definitively stating whether or not a reserve needs to be adjusted to accommodate any new discovery or concessions.

TLF provides a full array of services to handle the needs of an insured and their insurance company. Our practice is multifaceted in that the attorneys at TLF have extensive experience in premise liability, medical malpractice, professional liability, general negligence, automobile, product liability, and municipal law. With accurate and on point legal analysis we are able to outline liability and damages components in a straightforward fashion to not only prepare the best defense on behalf of the insured but to conservatively handle and set reserves to limit the exposure of the insurance company.

[1] It is imperative to review your policy or policies in their entirety to ensure such a provision is contained therein prior to selecting counsel.

Written By: TLF’s Leading Insurance Defense Attorney, Jessica A. Rounds, Associate at TLF

The Towne Law Firm, P.C. attorneys have a broad range of experience providing insurance defense representation to numerous insurance carriers, business owners, and self-insured clients. The Towne Law Firm has been recognized by AM Best as Client Recommended Insurance Attorneys, in both 2018 and 2021.