Events

Review Event Recording - Crossing the (State) Line

How Your Trial & Settlement Strategies can Change in Different States
10.16.2024

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State sign nestled in fall leaves on tree with seminar title

Originally Held: October 16, 2024
Time: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Cost: Complimentary

For multi-state businesses and their insurance providers, it can be a challenging, and even daunting, task to manage a regional or national litigation portfolio.

What legal issues are the same or similar from state to state? Which venues are more defense friendly? When should you consider removing matters to federal court? These and many other considerations were the focus of this webinar, which examined a seemingly routine premises liability case that evolved into a multi-state nightmare.

Our experienced trial attorneys examined how different states address such issues as comparative fault to non-parties, indemnification, settlement considerations and much more. They discussed specifics about how you can best position your case for an optimal result.

Important Program Note

While many types of cases involve the legal issues identified below, we have selected a premises liability fact pattern for this webinar.

While working, a restaurant server at a local mall’s food court tripped over a live lobster and fell, fracturing her hip. Her employer was in the process of replacing its seafood tank, during which several live lobsters escaped.

The server sued the mall owner, maintenance contractor and water tank repair contractor for creating the dangerous condition and for failure to warn her about it. She also sued the mall’s security company for failing to preserve security camera video evidence. 

The named defendants are assessing defense strategies, including third-party practice, removal to federal court, dismissal for lack of jurisdiction or forum non conveniens, or seeking to have substantive state law other than Illinois’ applied to the litigation. To assess choice of law issues requires comparison of alternative states’ substantive law on affirmative defenses, joint and several  liability, contribution, comparative fault, allocation of fault to non-parties, anti-indemnity laws and public policy, and limitations on contribution claims against an employer.

We will analyze how defense, settlement and trial strategies can change depending on which state’s substantive law is applied, thereby altering case value and outcome.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar was designed to benefit business executives, in-house counsel and insurance claims professionals whose responsibilities extend beyond a single state. 

Presenters

  Alyssa Kennedy contact information John Sullivan contact information  
  Matthew Planey contact information    

Webinar Recording

Crossing the (State) Line

Resources: