Posted By Haggerty, Goldberg, Schleifer & Kupersmith, P.C.
HGSK is active in the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, an organization
of trial lawyers in Pennsylvania dedicated to the rights of injured persons.
In this regard, working with Scott Cooper, Esquire of Schmidt & Kramer
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
James C. Haggerty and
Suzanne T. Tighe of our office recently prepared and filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in Wolfe
v. Allstate Property & Casualty Insurance Company. This Friend of
the Court Brief was filed on behalf of Pennsylvania Association for Justice
by Jim Haggerty and Suzanne Tighe.
At issue in the case is the assignability of a bad faith claim under the
Pennsylvania Bad Faith Statute, 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 8371. In the underlying
tort case, a verdict was returned in favor of Jared Wolfe against Karl
Zierle. Karl Zierle then assigned the right to recover the verdict and
any additional consequential and bad faith damages against his insurer,
Allstate, to Jared Wolfe. Allstate challenges the assignability, seeking
to avoid responsibility for its bad faith actions.
On behalf of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, HGSK filed a Friend
of the Court Brief arguing that the bad faith claim against Allstate was,
in fact, assignable and collectible. The matter will be decided by the
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.