Insurance

We have more than four decades of experience providing counsel and legal defense to insurance companies, self-insured clients, businesses and individuals. The firm has represented thousands of insured clients of leading insurance companies in a wide range of cases and has represented insurers in cases involving coverage disputes, policy interpretation, bad faith claims and workers’ compensation.

The following are some of the key focus areas:

Property and Casualty Defense

The following are some of the key focus areas:

Property and Casualty Defense

We represent insurance companies at the national and local level, regularly representing parties in lawsuits involving accidents, premises liability, fire loss, maintenance defects, construction defects and products liability. We also defend individual homeowners and motorists, as well as owners of commercial property, retail spaces and businesses.

Even when claims are legitimate, there may be questionable or unnecessary expenses and procedures involved in an injured person’s treatment or in the repair of damaged property. Exaggerated claims are not rare. Sometimes, the injured party shares the fault for what happened. To find out what really happened, we investigate every case thoroughly, taking the time to talk to every client and client representative and meet with them in person whenever possible.

Coverage Opinions

We have extensive experience in coverage analysis and representation, including commercial and personal lines, primary, umbrella and excess coverage and first- and third-party coverage. We also handle an assortment of coverage issues, including advertising injury, personal injury, construction defect, automobile, underinsured motorists, personal injury protection, homeowner’s, environmental, property, products-completed operations, E&O and D&O. We have the depth of experience necessary to provide insightful coverage advice to insurers when handling matters in Tennessee, and the legal analysis, research and writing skills needed for effective representation.

Because a clear understanding of the validity and scope of a claim can mean the difference between spending or saving thousands of dollars, our clients rely upon us to provide them with coverage opinion letters. For a coverage opinion, our legal experts assess the current state of the law regarding potential claims arising under an insurance policy and provide an accurate determination as to: whether coverage exists; the extent of liability; the strengths and weakness of the claim; and the defense options available.

Bad Faith

We represent some of the nation’s largest insurance carriers and are recognized as leaders in the field of insurance litigation. We have significant experience defending insurance companies and related entities and individuals in lawsuits alleging bad faith and other claims arising out of first- and third-party property/casualty insurance matters.

We have extensive bench and jury trial experience in both state and federal courts, as well as effectively presenting cases at the appellate level.

Workers’ Compensation

Lewis Thomason serves large and small businesses and their insurance carriers across the state of Tennessee. We routinely guide our clients through the complex web of workers’ compensation rules and regulations. We advise clients on the interplay of workers’ compensation, the American with Disabilities Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act and how they affect business goals. Our attorneys have long term litigation and mediation experience on the many different applications of workers’ compensation, from the administrative level all the way through the Supreme Court.

We are committed to providing excellent representation and client service, while at the same time containing fees and expenses. Our client commitment is evidenced by:

Client notification on changes in workers’ compensation law and trends in compensation awards
Complimentary manuals, revised annually, on workers’ compensation in Tennessee
Efficient staffing, using experienced legal assistants to contain costs when appropriate

As evidence of the respect we have earned in the area of workers’ compensation, shareholder Leslie Bishop was appointed to serve as a member of the Governor’s Task Force charged with reform of workers’ compensation laws in the state of Tennessee.

Professional Liability

As a professional, your reputation means everything. We are sensitive to the fact that professional liability lawsuits affect reputations, as well as personal finances, and we stand ready to aggressively protect your practice at both the trial and appellate levels.

Representative clients include: