05/15/2007
California Court Finds No Duty Owed to Reinsurer by Defense Attorney Who Was Hired by the Primary Carrier
Zenith Insurance Company v. Cozen O’Connor, ___Cal.Rptr.3d___, 2007 WL 841119 (Cal.App. 2 Dist. 2007)
Brief Summary
The California Court of Appeal for the Second District affirmed the dismissal of a legal malpractice claim brought by a reinsurer against a law firm hired by the primary carrier to represent the insured. The court held that the firm owed no duty of care to the reinsurer because no attorney-client relationship existed under an implied contract, nor was the reinsurer a third party beneficiary of the underlying attorney-client relationship.
Hinshaws Lawyers for the ProfessionSM Alert can also be viewed at http://www.lawyeringlaw.com
