Litigation (Non-Arizona) Archives - Page 24 of 46

10th Circuit Court of Appeals Rules Homeowners Insurance Doesn’t Cover Homeowner Whose Tiger Killed a Woman During a Photo Shoot

Note to all of you who own tigers: Your homeowners insurance policy probably does not cover you if you are using your tiger as a prop during a photo shoot and your tiger attacks and kills the model being photographed. This is a ruling of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Doug Billingsley’s parents, Keith and Sharon Billingsley, owned the Siberian tiger that was under Doug’s control while 17 year old Haley Hilderbrand was having her senior high school picture taken. During the shoot the tiger attacked and killed Haley. Her parents sued and won a judgment, but Safeco Insurance Company refused to pay on the Billingsley’s homeowner’s insurance policy because it said the accident occurred during a business venture and business ventures were excluded from the policy. The 10th Circuit agreed.

Lesson to be Learned: If you are going to use your tiger as part of your business venture or in connection with attempting to earn money, don’t do it until you purchase business insurance that covers your tiger related activities.

P.S. Maybe its not a good idea to use wild animals like lions and tigers anywhere around people – even if you have business insurance.

See “Wrongful Death by Tiger Attack not Covered by Homeowners Policy, 10th Circuit Rules” and “Tiger Goes Tiger, Insurance Company Doesn’t Have to Pay.”

Father Sues Ex-Son-in-Law for $1 Million for Breaking Promise Not to Cheat on His Daughter

OnPoint: “Taking contract law to an extreme, Chicago attorney Carey M. Stein has filed a $1 million lawsuit in which he alleges his former son-in-law broke an oral agreement to be faithful to his daughter if he footed the bill for the couple’s wedding.” See the complaint.

No Buyers at Foreclosure Auction of Nicolas Cage’s 12,000 Square Foot Bel Air Home

Actor Nicolas Cage has been in the news lately for money problems. His Bel Air, California, mansion a 11,817-square-foot six bedroom, nine bath home went to foreclosure auction, but nobody bid except the lienholder. The minimum bid was $10.4 million for a house Cage tried to sell for $35 million. Even at the “bargain” price of $10.4, there were no takers. The lender purchased the home at with a credit bid and is the new owner.

Kentucky Using State Law to Sue Internet Gambling Sites

Courier-Journal: “A lawsuit . . . names as defendants the Ireland-based Pocket Kings LTD., which operates the hugely popular Full Tilt Poker Web site, and unknown entities that operate dozens of other online gambling sites. As authorized under the law, the suit seeks to recover three times the amounts lost by Kentuckians who gambled on the Web sites.”

Almost 700 Former NFL Players Seek Big Bucks from California for Football Injuries

Wow! The California gravy train is worse than I thought. Its workers compensation insurance system pays former pro football players big bucks for injuries sustained playing pro football if the player is now a California resident, but was not a resident during the player’s career if the player played one game in California. Los Angeles Times: “About 700 former N.F.L. players are pursuing cases in California, according to state records, with most of them in line to receive routine lump-sum settlements of about $100,000 to $200,000.” In what may be a new way to get money from California, Dr. Eleanor Perfetto has filed a claim on behalf of her husband, Ralph Wenzel, asking the state to compensate him for his dementia allegedly caused by playing in the NFL from 1966 – 1973.