Practice Areas

 

At Groelle & Salmon, P.A. we are committed to excelling in all aspects of insurance law and litigation while delivering quality services and favorable results at reasonable costs. We achieve the most favorable result possible through an understanding of the client’s goal and then aggressively handle and efficiently report matters essential to a proper disposition. It is the firm's goal that the client’s experience be one of little difficulty or stress, and that the client be completely satisfied with the legal representation of counsel provided by the attorneys.

Groelle & Salmon, P.A. services and special areas of expertise include:

 

Appraisal

Appellate court decisions in recent years have imposed different obligations on an insurer with regard to these forums, and have imposed different procedural processes on the appraisal/arbitration forum, subjecting the parties, and the process to the statutory procedures for arbitration.  Several of our attorneys have represented insurers in arbitration and appraisal forums, in a variety of property loss claims, in the roles of either appraiser or legal counsel.

 

Bad Faith Litigation

The litigious nature of our society and the inclusion of statutory causes of action against insurers for extra-contractual damages make the “bad faith” allegation a specter to watch for in any claim.  A legal action for bad faith can result in costly, protracted litigation for the insurer, usually with minimal risk in the litigation to the insured.  Proper training and claim handling techniques, and timely attention to the adjuster’s workload, is the best prevention for the specter of bad faith.

 

Catastrophe and Supplemental Claims

The geography and location of Florida have subjected properties in the state to numerous catastrophic events in our history.  Hurricanes and several unnamed wind and rainstorms resulted in a barrage of claims flooding the insurers writing personal lines and commercial building coverage policies in the state.  Our attorneys have represented numerous insurers in the investigations, evaluation of initial claims and supplemental claims from these natural catastrophes, and have the expertise and experience to deal with these problematic claims.

 

Claims Investigation, Coverage, and Litigation

Often times claims present problematic issues regarding the extent of an insurer’s contractual and statutory obligations, as well as case law that may impact an insurer’s obligations or an insured’s rights under an insurance policy.  Decisions on problematic claims can be difficult and requires thorough and timely investigations and development factual information.  Reaching an informed decision on a claim involving coverage issues requires an understanding and identification of the coverage issues, knowledge of contractual and statutory obligations, and appreciation for how the issues may be resolved by the courts. The attorneys of Groelle & Salmon, P.A. are prepared to assist with the development of the necessary and objective facts required to resolve problematic claims and, more importantly, to provide seasoned legal and coverage analysis and counsel regarding contractual and statutory obligations.

Litigation of first party insurance claims has become an ever increasing aspect of the insurance industry.  The attorneys of Groelle & Salmon, P.A. have litigated insurance coverage disputes in all of Florida’s Judicial Circuits of Florida and the Federal Middle and Southern District Courts, as well as appeals in all of Florida’s District Courts of Appeal.

 

Investigation of Fraud and Arson Claims

The investigation of suspicious property loss claims is an important part of controlling insurance fraud.  This includes understanding and assessing origin and cause investigations by state law enforcement and private investigators, initiating and directing financial investigations, assisting the insurer in fully and adequately investigating such claims to reveal physical and circumstantial evidence pertinent to assessing potential coverage defenses that may exist, and conducting examinations under oath. Our attorneys have prevalent years of experience assisting personal lines and commercial insurers in the investigation of questionable property loss claims.

 

Liability Defense

Groelle & Salmon, P.A. attorneys have extensive experience in liability defense and have defended numerous liability matters ranging from relatively minor injuries to those involving claims for damages in excess of $1,000,000. Including but not limited to premises liability, product liability, and professional liability.

 

Sinkhole Claim Litigation

Due to Florida’s geography, sinkhole claims are a trend in the in the western and central areas of the state.  The statutorily mandated obligation imposed on insurers give rise to waves of litigation, intimidating insurers into just paying property coverage limits on these claims, which are often questionable as to cause and scope of damage.  The attorneys at Groelle & Salmon, P.A., particularly in our west coast office, have developed significant experience and expertise in challenges to questionable sinkhole claims.

 

Subrogation

Groelle & Salmon, P.A. handles large loss recovery efforts for insurers throughout Florida.  Our lawyers have a broad range of experience in subrogation cases involving electrical fires, product liability cases, negligence, and intentional torts. 

 

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