November 7, 2014

Kelley Kronenberg Obtains Defense Verdict in Sinkhole Denial Case

On November 5, 2014, Dennis Dore and Jessica Lanifero of Kelley Kronenberg, obtained a defense jury verdict on a sinkhole claim in Hillsborough County, Florida. The Plaintiffs argued that the Defendant homeowner insurance carrier breached the policy of insurance by failing to pay their sinkhole claim.  Mr. Dore and Ms. Lanifero asserted on behalf of the carrier that there was no physical damage that occurred during the policy period, and alternatively, that any such damage was not caused by sinkhole activity. 

Dore and Lanifero successfully defended the claim, effectively demonstrating that there had been no physical damage to the Plaintiffs’ property during the policy period, and proving that the carrier complied with Florida law and the policy of insurance.

This verdict is especially significant, as the insurance company has apparently never previously obtained a favorable verdict on the issue of physical damage during the policy period, and had rarely obtained a favorable verdict on the issue of sinkhole activity in a denial case.