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Christopher Yetka is a commercial trial attorney with an emphasis on insurance recovery disputes. He has successfully enforced the coverage rights of policyholders across the country in cases relating to nearly every type of insurance policy. He has also represented and counseled financial institutions, utilities, medical device companies, construction companies, product manufacturers, transportation agricultural and technology companies.

State environmental agencies continue to discover long-hidden contamination caused by companies around the country. Contamination may turn up after dredging activities, groundwater sampling or construction of new buildings on redeveloped sites. When these discoveries are made, state environmental agencies search for the source of pollution. In recent years, that research has led government agencies to

Introduction

Recent legislation and Minnesota court decisions have changed how courts treat statements by insurance brokers and agents.  Historically, to determine if a policyholder or insurer was responsible for the statements and actions of the insurance brokers or agent you had to look to the principles of legal authority.  The possession of authority, whether actual

COVID-19 and the recent political unrest have come with implications that are either direct or consequential to the insurance market.  Many businesses looking to renew long-standing commercial insurance policies are finding either increased premiums or a refusal of certain excess carriers to extend the same policy limits.  This has caused many businesses to either shop

  1. Notify Your Insurer.

    Typically, property insurance policies require notice of a claim as soon as practicable. Notice requires a description of when, where and what happened to result in a claim.  If you have a loss, put your insurer on notice immediately.

  2. File a Police Report.

    Make sure to file a police report.  Many policies

COVID-19 and the stay at home mandates have had a devastating impact on the business community. Many business owners are looking to their business interruption and other insurance to cover the losses but finding insurers are asserting various coverage issues and exclusions. Paul Smith and Chris Yetka shine a light on what to look for

The Novel Coronavirus and related COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented effect on businesses across the country.  Even “essential” businesses like construction have seen their businesses turned on their heads.  These types of unpredictable events are the very reason that businesses carry insurance.  What can your business do now to make sure that they maximize

For a period of time now businesses have seen the effects of COVID-19 on supply lines and suppliers. But now that the virus has been officially labeled a pandemic, and businesses are being asked to shut their doors to effectuate social distancing, will insurance be the last bulwark against financial harm? The answer, as always,

When an insured business is faced with litigation, sometimes the question of who gets to select defense counsel arises. Third-party liability policies often state that the insurer has both the duty and right to defend the policyholder. Most courts interpret these policies to give the insurer the right to select defense counsel. However, the right