Why Your Insurance Business Needs Our Insurance Attorneys
Insurance Attorneys Provide Perspective on Complex Issues
Insurance companies and insurance agents and brokers need a wide array legal services: Interpretation of state regulation and policy requirements, contract construction, and defending insureds in a wide array of lawsuits are all part of the daily work in the insurance industry. Many of these important decisions should not be left to company employees who are not equipped with the experience or expertise to handle them.
Legal questions require legal analysis. Even in-house counsel rely on outside insurance attorneys for perspective and analysis. For both complex insurance industry issues and daily questions common to any going concern, Jenkins Fenstermaker is a solid insurance industry resource.
Insurance Industry Growth and Power
In 2017, the U.S. insurance industry wrote net premiums totaling $1.2 trillion. Life and health insurance premiums accounted for 52 percent of that number, while property and casualty insurers accounted for the remaining 48 percent. In 2016, the insurance industry employed 2.6 million people in insurance companies, agencies, brokers, and other insurance-related enterprises.
Following numerous insurance company bankruptcies in the 1980s and 1990s, federal and state regulation of the industry grew. The industry needs the assistance of experienced insurance attorneys to assist with compliance matters in a way that maximizes profits and growth: the insurance attorneys at Jenkins Fenstermaker.
Jenkins Fenstermaker, PLLC: An Insurance Industry Resource
The insurance industry lawyers at Jenkins Fenstermaker provide advice and counsel in multiple areas. Contract construction, insurance law interpretation, and regulatory compliance are just a few of the areas our insurance industry attorneys provide. We serve as a reliable resource for insurance industry clients seeking both infrequent and ongoing counsel.
In addition to industry-specific services on issues, we offer a full array of legal services to meet all of the legal needs of your business. We have deep experience litigating insurance coverage matters, providing sound guidance on corporate governance matters, advising on and litigating labor and employment matters, and representing businesses in all stages of workers’ compensation claims. Jenkins Fenstermaker attorneys are available to serve all of the legal services needs of insurance industry businesses.
Providing Insurance Defense Litigation in Multiple Disciplines
The insurance industry is no stranger to litigation. When disputes over claims cannot be resolved, insurers must fight for their insureds in the courtroom. The Jenkins Fenstermaker insurance coverage and defense team has broad experience in state and federal courtrooms in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. Respected, dedicated, and resourceful, these insurance defense attorneys have successfully defended general liability and commercial claims as well as defense in transportation litigation, municipal liability cases, and consumer litigation. The team prides itself on mastering the underlying issues and preparing, when necessary, to take cases all the way to verdict.
Our dedicated group of insurance coverage litigation attorneys is ready to dig deep into complex layers of policies and policy language to determine the levels of coverage available from all sources. Acting on advice from lawyers regarding what a policy does and does not cover can protect insurance industry businesses from costly bad faith claims.
With our thorough understanding of ever changing insurance law, we help insurance industry clients navigate the intersection of policy language, statute, and case law. Our sound guidance on strategy and risk helps clients choose the best path to a successful resolution, whether that means settlement, mediation, or trial.
Our insurance coverage litigation attorneys are prepared to handle all variety of coverage issues, including the following:
- Commercial general liability policies;
- Completed operations issues;
- Transportation claims;
- Time element and business interruption coverage;
- Professional liability policies;
- Director’s and officer’s coverage;
- Advertising injury (part B) coverage;
- Additional-insured issues;
- Employment practices liability; and
- Environmental contamination liability
Insurance industry businesses can also be targeted for failure to provide needed insurance, sales tactics, and bad faith claims arising out of payment delays and denials or breach of the duty to defend. The litigation attorneys at Jenkins Fenstermaker are adept at defending these types claims.
Jenkins Fenstermaker insurance coverage clients have included businesses in various fields, insured doctors and law firms, and insurance industry businesses themselves. Our reputation for skilled, thorough, and personal attention keeps them coming back.
Sound Corporate and Business Structure Counsel
Like other businesses, insurance industry businesses can benefit from organizational strategies that protect and insulate the different parts or locations of the business. A growing “Mom and Pop” agency needs counsel from experienced attorneys on business structures that make sense for the agency’s needs. An expanding insurer should take stock of whether its current structure is the most advantageous.
The “Business Doctors” in our business and commercial law group provides counsel and services for insurance industry clients wishing to form or expand their businesses, including organization and entity selection, filing requirement direction and assistance, and financing and tax issue advice. They also offer ongoing counsel services, serving as outside counsel to advise on legal matters and questions that can arise.
Seasoned Advisors on Labor and Employment Matters
Jenkins Fenstermaker also has an experienced team of labor and employment lawyers you can rely on to negotiate and draft employment contracts, covenants not to compete, severance agreements, and personnel policies and handbooks and to provide human resources training. They also defend employers faced with discrimination claims, wage and hour disputes, and other employee claims as well as advise on how to handle recruitment and selection, performance appraisals, employee leave, and other issues faced by insurance industry employers.
Help When Insurance Disputes Implicate Workers’ Compensation Law or Mandolidis Claims
Like other businesses, insurance industry employees may be injured on the job. When that happens, Jenkins Fenstermaker’s elite team of workers’ compensation attorneys will advise your business on workers’ compensation issues and represent it throughout the detailed claim process. We provide direction regarding evaluation of the claim, representation throughout the administrative and appeal process, and legal advice on strategy and settlements. Jenkins Fenstermaker also offers a legal team experienced defending against deliberate intent or Mandolidis claims for work-related injuries that fall outside the purview of workers’ compensation law.
Insurance Attorneys Who Can Meet Multiple Needs
Insurance industry clients have daily responsibilities to comply with policy and legal requirements, keep customers and insureds satisfied, and maximize profits and savings. For everything from daily operations and employment issues to insurance litigation, legal advice is invaluable every step of the way.
Backed by more than 90 years of legal experience, the experienced insurance attorneys at Jenkins Fenstermaker can be partners in your West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio business. For more information on how we can help, call us at (304) 523-2100 locally or (866) 617-4736 toll-free or complete our online contact page to discuss how we can meet your company’s insurance-related legal needs.