Angus Edwards

Defended a national disaster-restoration franchisee in a jury trial. Plaintiffs hired the franchisee to remediate water damage in their basement. The plaintiffs’ home sustained severe damage in a fire. Plaintiffs made products-liability claims against the manufacturer and distributor of a fan they alleged had caused the fire. Plaintiffs had purchased the fan and it was used for the first time on the day of the fire. The plaintiffs sued the franchisee for placement of their fan, along with many other fans owned by franchisee. The jury found that the fan had a defect that made it unreasonably dangerous and that the manufacturer and distributor were liable, but not the franchisee.

Represented a client that operates a tour-boat business. One of the client’s boats collided with another boat and multiple passengers in the boats suffered injuries. The client’s insurance carrier denied coverage for these claims on the ground that the client had failed to notify the carrier that it had hired the employee who was operating the boat at the time of the accident. The carrier refused to pay for counsel to represent the client in response to the claims by the injured passengers. In addition, the carrier filed a lawsuit against the client seeking a declaration that it had no duty to defend the client from the claims by the injured passengers.  As a result of defense of the client in the insurance-coverage litigation, the insurance carrier changed its decision and agreed to settle the claims by the injured passengers.

Defended a substance-abuse counselor in a lawsuit filed by the driver of a vehicle who was in a collision with the counselor’s vehicle and a third vehicle. The counselor was not injured, but he filed a counterclaim against the plaintiff for damage to his vehicle. At trial, the jury found that the counselor had not caused the three-car accident, that the driver who claimed personal injuries had caused the accident, and the jury awarded damages to the counselor for the damage to his vehicle.