Declaratory Judgment Action Insurance Coverage In Michigan
Description
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FAQ
A declaratory judgment is a legally binding judgment where a court declares the rights and obligations of the parties to a written agreement, such as an insurance policy or other contract.
Your insurance company client wants to file a declaratory judgment action to determine whether the insurer owes coverage to one of the defendants in a civil lawsuit.
Typically, when filing a declaratory judgment action, insurers seek an adjudication of both their duty to defend and their duty to indemnify, because the duty to defend is broader than the duty to indemnify and, if insurers do not have the former duty, then they typically do not have the latter duty, either.
In some instances, a declaratory judgment is filed because the statute of limitations against a potential defendant may pass before the plaintiff incurs damage (for example, a malpractice statute applicable to a certified public accountant may be shorter than the time period the IRS has to assess a taxpayer for ...
Declaratory Judgment Expenses means all legal expenses incurred in the representation of the Company in litigation, arbitration or any other dispute resolution proceeding or process brought to determine the Company's defense and/or indemnification obligations that are allocable to any specific claim or loss under ...
The benefit of a declaratory judgment is that it prevents lawsuits that are likely to be unsuccessful, which saves the courts, and ultimately taxpayers, resources and time. A policyholder that receives an unfavorable declaratory judgment is unlikely to file a lawsuit, as the suit is much more likely to be dismissed.
To bring a claim for declaratory judgment in a situation where a patent dispute may exist or develop, the claimant must establish that an actual controversy exists. If there is a substantial controversy of sufficient immediacy and reality, the court will generally proceed with the declaratory-judgment action.
A declaratory judgment is a binding judgment from a court defining the legal relationship between parties and their rights in a matter before the court. When there is uncertainty as to the legal obligations or rights between two parties, a declaratory judgment offers an immediate means to resolve this uncertainty.
For an actual controversy to be found, the plaintiff cannot be merely seeking advice from the court, but instead must show that the controversy between parties is substantial, immediate, and real and that the parties have adverse legal interests.
