Jury Agrees Defendant was Not DUI in Gwinnett County Collision Case

By Wayne Tartline March 15, 2024 Articles

On February 29, 2024, Bovis, Kyle, Burch & Medlin attorney Wayne S. Tartline, working with Lueder Larkin & Hunter partner Hillary Shawkat, obtained a very favorable verdict for their client who had caused a significant rear-end collision with Plaintiffs’ vehicle in 2018, and who had been accused of driving under influence of marijuana at the time.  Read More

Bovis Kyle Attorneys Wayne Tartline and Edward Pankowski Obtain Defense-Friendly Verdict in Cobb County Traumatic Brain Injury Case

By Edward "Ward" Pankowski March 11, 2024 Articles

Bovis Kyle attorneys Wayne Tartline and Edward “Ward” Pankowski obtained a defense-friendly verdict following a two-day jury trial in Cobb County State Court. The trial was the culmination of a lawsuit that stemmed from a September 10, 2021, accident, in which the defendant was videotaped running a stop sign and striking the plaintiff’s vehicle, pushing that vehicle into a nearby building. Read More

March Madness Again ...

By Eric A. Ludwig and Timothy R. Bennett March 8, 2024 Articles

It’s late Friday afternoon. You are counting the minutes until 5:01 pm to head into the weekend to watch March Madness after a long week as an adjuster for ABC Insurance Co. You receive certified letter regarding a Plaintiff who was involved in a motor vehicle accident. You open the manila envelope and read “Plaintiff’s Offer of Settlement under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-68” to resolve Plaintiff’s claim against the Underinsured Motorist Carrier (“UM Carrier”). It says you must accept in 30 days or be responsible for attorney fees. Now, your concerns shift from contemplating whether UConn’s basketball team should be considered a “blue blood” program to whether the Plaintiff’s Offer of Settlement is effective as a matter of law. Read More

Attendee Recap | 34th Annual Northeast Surety & Fidelity Claims Conference

By Mark L. Pickett October 31, 2023 News/Events/Seminars

The 34th Annual Northeast Surety & Fidelity Claims Conference, held September 20-23, 2023 at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, proved to be a great success, bringing together a wide range of professionals across the surety industry. This year’s conference continued the three-decade-plus tradition of featuring presentations from both outside counsel and in-house surety claims professionals who provided both legal insights and practical tips for handling surety and fidelity claims. In addition to the educational opportunities, the conference also fostered networking opportunities new and old. Read More

Attorneys Wayne Tartline and Ward Pankowski Obtain Defense Verdict In Habersham County House Fire Trial

By Wayne Tartline October 26, 2023 Articles

On October 25, 2023, Bovis Kyle Attorneys Wayne Tartline and Ward Pankowski obtained a defense verdict for their client in the Habersham County State Court in Clarkesville, Georgia.  The homeowner plaintiffs sued their long time HVAC contractor after a fire engulfed their home in November of 2017. Despite that the HVAC contractor had not done any work at the home in the approximately eighteen (18) months prior to the fire, the plaintiffs claimed that their work had caused the fire.  Plaintiffs’ expert electrical engineer quickly concluded that the fire was electrical in nature and was caused by poor workmanship by the defendant HVAC contractor.  Read More

Camilla F. Deboard joins the Bovis Kyle team to lead North Carolina office

By October 19, 2023 News/Events/Seminars

Please welcome Camilla F. Deboard to the Bovis Kyle team. Camilla joined the firm in October, as a partner, to lead the firm’s North Carolina office. Camilla focuses her practice on insurance defense, insurance coverage, employment law litigation (Title VII and discrimination claims, etc.) premises liability, civil rights defense (1983 claims and ADA Title III) and complex litigation in state and federal courts. She also works on arbitration matters, including underinsured and uninsured motorist arbitrations. Camilla previously coached the Elon Law School Mock Trial Team 2012-2014, and previously served as an Elon Law School Preceptor, mentoring first year law students.  Camilla’s ability to manage complicated situations and litigation along with her attention to detail allows her to successfully assist clients in all aspects of a dispute in North Carolina, from pre-litigation to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Read More

BKBM Attorneys Obtain Directed Verdict In Cobb County Property Dispute Trial

By Wayne Tartline September 19, 2023 Articles

On September 6, 2023, Wayne Tartline and Chang Zhou concluded a Cobb County jury trial by obtaining a directed verdict judgment from the Court.  As a result, Wayne’s client, a Marietta developer and homebuilder, did not have to await a jury verdict, as the case was summarily dismissed at the conclusion of Plaintiff’s case based upon legal arguments submitted by defense counsel. 

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11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals provides detailed instructive opinion on Georgia's bad faith statute

By Gregory R. Veal August 31, 2023 Articles

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has provided a detailed, cogent, and instructive opinion on Georgia’s first-party insurance bad faith statute.  In Turner v. CMFG Life Insurance Co., Case No. 23-11387 (August 28, 2023), the insurer’s investigation began immediately on receipt of the claim for death benefits, continued through the statutory 60-day demand period, and ultimately resulted in full payment under the policy.  The policy beneficiary was not satisfied, though, and sued to recover the bad-faith penalty (up to 50% of the amount owed) and attorney’s fees allowed by O.C.G.A. § 33-4-6.  Under that statute, an insurer may be penalized for failing to pay a claim within 60 days after a proper demand, if the plaintiff can prove the failure was in “bad faith.” Read More