Hon. Maria-Elena James
United States Magistrate Judge (Ret.)

Available for Mediations

Insurance

​REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Plaintiff insurance company requesting contribution/reimbursement from defendant insurance company for costs incurred in defending and paying out settlements on behalf of various third-parties (insured by defendant, but defendant denied coverage) in state superior court actions. Settled.
• Employer, which contracted with a company to provide life insurance for its employees, terminated contract with insurance company less than one month before an employee died, employee’s widow brought suit to collect the $750,000.00 of life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance benefits.
• Car crashed into the front insured homeowners’ house, rendering it uninhabitable, and insurance company reduced the contracted-for amount it would pay out, so homeowners filed suit. Settled.
• Insured filed suit, under 42 U.S.C. §§ 4100, et seq. (Federal Flood Insurance Program), against insurance company that breached their flood insurance contract by refusing to provide contracted-for benefits.
• Insurance company improperly withheld benefits from a city employee (benefits as part of employment contract), who filed suit against the company.