Oregon Commercial Lines – 2020 Year in Review

Smith Freed Eberhard Partners Jeff Eberhard and Bill Taaffe discuss major cases of the past year in Oregon, with a focus on Commercial Lines claims management.

Why Watch This Webinar?

This webinar is designed for claims professionals and provides a basic overview of significant cases over the last year and their impact on Commercial Lines claims management. This webinar will prepare you to handle claims in Oregon touching on: timber trespass; liquor liability; noneconomic damages; and other topics.

Key Points Presented Include:

• (HB 4212) Extends the statute of limitations indefinitely on most civil claims due to COVID-19.
• (Busch v. McInnis) Holds Oregon’s $500,000 noneconomic damages cap unconstitutional as applied to claims other than those for wrongful death.
• (La Costita III) Opens the door to claims against social hosts when the host is operating in dual roles, such as employer and social host.
• (Bighorn Logging Corp.) Examines ambiguities in intentional act exclusions in the context of intentional timber trespass.
• (Porter v. Veenhuisen) Provides that once a trial date has been set, the plaintiff’s unpreparedness for trial is no excuse to postpone.