Driver’s umbrella policy provides UIM coverage

Court Pierces Veil on Sub’s Contract Claim

By Deborah Elkins
Published: July 6, 2011
Tags: Corporate, Henrico County Circuit Court, Judge Gary Hicks, Virginia Circuit Courts

A subcontractor on a boiler project at the University of Richmond can pierce the corporate veil of its own subcontractor and win judgment against the sub-subcontractor ’s sole shareholder of its defunct corporation, as the shareholder failed to observe corporate formalities; but the Henrico Circuit Court denies reverse corporate veil piercing against another corporation formed [...]

Contractor can pursue assets of owner of sub

By Peter Vieth
Published: July 1, 2011
Tags: Corporate, Henrico County Circuit Court, Judge Gary Hicks

A Richmond electrical contractor can go after the personal assets of an electrical engineer whose company allegedly botched a job at the University of Richmond. Henrico County Circuit Judge Gary A. Hicks let the contractor pierce the corporate veil of a now-defunct engineering firm and entered judgment against the owner. But the judge refused to [...]

Umbrella becomes UIM: Man gets full policy limits

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 18, 2011
Tags: Henrico County Circuit Court, Insurance, Judge Gary Hicks, Personal Injury

An injured motor vehicle passenger learned last November that he could get underinsured motorist coverage from his umbrella liability policy in a rare policy interpretation. This month he learned how much he could recover: he gets to tap the full limits of the umbrella policy, under a ruling from a Henrico County circuit judge. The [...]

Plaintiff Gets $2M UIM from Umbrella Policy

By Deborah Elkins
Published: April 13, 2011
Tags: Henrico County Circuit Court, Insurance, Judge Gary Hicks, Virginia Circuit Courts

An endorsement in a policyholder’s Executive Umbrella Insurance Policy is ambiguous, and an Henrico Circuit Court construes the endorsement in favor of the policyholder who was injured in an auto accident, to provide $2 million in underinsured motorist coverage. In an earlier opinion, this court ruled plaintiff’s umbrella policy does provide UIM coverage under an [...]

Umbrella becomes UIM: Man gets full policy limits

By Peter Vieth
Published: April 6, 2011
Tags: Henrico County Circuit Court, Insurance, Judge Gary Hicks, Personal Injury

An injured motor vehicle passenger learned last November that he could get underinsured motorist coverage from his umbrella liability policy in a rare policy interpretation. This month he learned how much he could recover: he gets to tap the full limits of the umbrella policy, under a ruling from a Henrico County circuit judge. The [...]

Courts committees set process for filling judicial vacancies

By Alan Cooper
Published: March 11, 2011
Tags: General Assembly, Judge Clifford R. Weckstein, Judge Gary Hicks, Judgeships, Justice Lawrence L. Koontz Jr., Supreme Court of Virginia News, Virginia State Bar

David B. Albo, chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee, has asked the Virginia State Bar to vet additional candidates to fill two vacancies on the Supreme Court of Virginia. Karen A. Gould, executive director of the VSB, said the agency’s judicial nominating committee would attempt to do so, despite a schedule that would [...]

Vehicle hits pedestrian at intersection – Defense Verdict

By Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Published: December 27, 2010
Tags: Henrico County Circuit Court, Judge Gary Hicks

Plaintiff was crossing the street at night in a dimly lit area with no traffic controls when he was struck by defendant’s vehicle. There was a better lit and traffic light controlled intersection 200 feet away. Plaintiff was wearing dark clothes. Plaintiff looked left, saw headlights approaching, looked right, and looked left again and saw [...]

Judges to rookies: Be aware of your reputation

By Alan Cooper
Published: December 9, 2010
Tags: Judge Gary Hicks, Judge Harold W. Burgess Jr., Practice Tips, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys

Rookie lawyers begin building their reputations the moment they set foot in the courtroom. A lawyer can reassure his client by looking like he knows his way around. Before you appear in front of a particular judge, talk to a more seasoned lawyer and find out how the judge likes to run her courtroom, Henrico [...]

Insurance – UIM Coverage – Auto Liability – Umbrella Policy

By Deborah Elkins
Published: November 19, 2010
Tags: Henrico County Circuit Court, Insurance, Judge Gary Hicks, Virginia Circuit Courts

A man who was injured when his vehicle was struck by another vehicle that failed to yield the right-of-way has UIM coverage under both his auto liability policy and his umbrella policy provided by the same company, says an Henrico County Circuit Court. The carrier, Auto-Owners, brought a declaratory judgment action that it has no [...]