Willman & Silvaggio is uniquely qualified and experienced in commercial insurance coverage.  A significant portion of our insurance defense work has concentrated on the circumstances and needs of policy holders. We also have litigated or advised insurance companies in connection with commercial coverage disputes -- especially as it relates to policy obligations and bad faith claims – to minimize risk and to effectively resolve disputes.

Coverage Issues

The Insurance Coverage Group focuses on matters of insurance coverage litigation, particularly in matters arising out of underlying environmental, toxic tort and product liability claims. Our attorneys have been involved in representing primary as well as excess carriers in litigation before state and federal courts, as well as before arbitration panels and mediators. Willman & Silvaggio has represented carriers in some of the largest and most complex insurance coverage litigation in the country, including the defense of actions filed by Westinghouse, US Steel, PPG Industries, Corning, Kaiser, Halliburton and Federal Mogul.

Insurance companies routinely engage Willman & Silvaggio to represent their interests in complex high exposure coverage and extra-contractual disputes. Our Insurance Coverage Practice has extensive experience in a full range of commercial insurance coverage matters including threshold questions such as the definition of the policy holder, choice of law, trigger of coverage, timeliness of notice, application of exclusions, and allocation.  We recognize the large body of insurance coverage law nationally that consists of fact-sensitive and policy driven judicial opinions that may or may not provide guidance because of the differences in state law as well as the insurance contracts themselves.

Our experience in representing and defending policyholders and carriers has brought about relationships of mutual trust and respect between our firm and our clients. That guiding principle has enabled the firm to develop a broad based understanding of how this segment of the industry functions and an appreciation of the business and legal issues important to all of our clients. 

Our work on behalf of carriers for nearly 30 years enables us to provide effective counsel on questions of new areas of coverage and proposed policy language.  

Bad Faith

Legislation, regulation, and case law affecting the insurance industry are constantly evolving. These changes impact insurance companies in a variety of ways, including the definition of bad faith.  Our attorneys understand the bad faith claim process - how the claims develop, how claims handling techniques are best presented, and how judges and juries reach their verdicts and evaluate the claims process. This knowledge and experience enables us to work with insurance companies to develop effective preventative approaches while mounting aggressive defense strategies when necessary.