Insurance Coverage
Bill has developed significant expertise in the area of insurance coverage. He has vast experience in researching and evaluating coverage issues, preparing coverage opinion letters and handling disputed declaratory judgment actions. He has handled coverage issues regarding many types of insurance policies, including Personal Auto, Business Auto, Garage, Homeowners, Dwelling, CGL, Farm Owners and Farmers Comprehensive Liability. The North Carolina Bar Association created its Insurance Law Section in 2013 and Bill was selected to serve on the inaugural Council for that section. He has been co-chair of the Communications Committee of the Insurance Law Section for several years and has written several blog posts for that Section.
Insurance Defense
Insurance defense remains a significant part of Bill’s practice. He represents insureds in a wide variety of cases, such as motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, animal liability, farm nuisance and professional liability.
Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
Bill has an extraordinary combination of knowledge, experience and skills which make him uniquely qualified to handle personal injury and wrongful death cases. He has tried to verdict well over a hundred jury trials throughout western North Carolina. Most of those trials were personal injury and wrongful death cases, so Bill has gained valuable insight as to how juries evaluate personal injury cases. Bill uses this insight and his knowledge and experience to give realistic advice to his clients regarding the value of their case, whether a settlement offer is fair or whether the case should be tried to a jury.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Claims
Bill has extensive experience handling uninsured and underinsured motorist claims throughout the Piedmont and western North Carolina. He has represented injured persons who have pursued claims for uninsured and underinsured coverage and has represented insurers in defense of such claims. Bill has handled many appeals to the North Carolina Appellate Courts regarding uninsured and underinsured coverage issues. 13 of Bill’s published cases involved uninsured or underinsured coverage issues.
Mediation and Arbitration
Bill has been certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission to conduct Superior Court mediations since 1997 and has served as a mediator in more than a hundred cases throughout northwest North Carolina. Because Bill has handled so many civil cases and has so much jury trial experience, he can help the parties to a mediation understand the strengths and weaknesses of their cases which, in turn, helps them make better decisions during the mediation process. Bill has also been selected by other attorneys to serve as an arbitrator in cases determined by an arbitration panel.
Appellate Practice
Bill has extensive experience handling cases in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and North Carolina Supreme Court. Thirty-five of his appellate cases have resulted in published opinions.