November 2016
News to Know

Tennessee Supreme Court Holds that Rental Cars are Uninsured Motor Vehicles under UM Policy


The Tennessee Supreme Court recently held that rental cars are uninsured vehicles in the context of uninsured motorist (UM) insurance coverage, despite seemingly clear policy language. In  Martin v. Powers , the defendant rented a car and drove it to a bar. After becoming intoxicated, the bar owner asked him to leave and followed him out of the bar. The defendant then drove the rental car into his knee. The defendant's primary auto insurance policy included UM/UIM coverage, but he did not purchase the optional liability coverage from the rental car company. His insurer denied coverage--and prevailed in a separate declaratory judgment action--because his act of driving into the bar owner's knee was intentional.

Read more about the primary impact of this case on insurers' UM policies here
 
EEOC v. St. Vincent Health Center, Flu Vaccination Policy Challenged as Religious Discrimination

On September 23, 2016, the EEOC filed suit in the Pennsylvania Federal Court against St. Vincent Health Center, taking the position its mandatory flu vaccination policy violates Title VII's religious discrimination prohibition. This is the most recent EEOC challenge of flu inoculation policies, having already filed suits against hospitals in two other states.

Employment attorney J. Steven Collins analyzes this case and sheds light on what employers need to know when determining whether a policy violates Title VII. Read more here.
Firm News
Accelerent Nashville Accepts Spicer Rudstrom as Newest Partner

Accelerent Nashville, an exclusive organization with a proprietary business development system, has announced Spicer Rudstrom PLLC as its newest partner. The law firm becomes the organization's 49th partner. 

Read more  here .
SR Welcomes Two New Attorneys

Spicer Rudstrom is pleased to welcome the addition of attorneys Whitney B. James and Jacob D. Strawn to the firm.

Whitney joins our Little Rock office, where she focuses on workers' compensation and personal injury.

Jacob joins our Memphis office, where he focuses on insurance defense, premises liability, products liability and workers' compensation.
Keep Up with Workers' Compensation Changes

In an effort help our clients stay informed on legal issues affecting their business, Spicer Rudstrom's attorneys strive to make sense of the complex challenges and recent legal developments in the ever-changing world of workers' compensation law. Attorneys Courtney S. Paterson and Jared S. Renfroe summarize the cases handed down in the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Appeals Board each week, providing insight on the recent legislation as a resource to employers across industries, as well as insurance providers and carriers.


If you are interested in keeping up with these decisions, visit our website's News  section for more!
Attorneys Out & About
Spicer Rudstrom Joins Belmont University College of Law for International Law Panel Discussion


Spicer Rudstrom joined Belmont University College of Law for a panel discussion on the topic Law as Impediment--or Facilitator--to International Business. The free event was open to lawyers, business people, faculty and law students. Panelists included:
SR's Managing Partner,   Marc O. Dedman, served as the moderator. 


Mike Vetter Moderated Panel Discussion on the Effect of Millennial Jurors on Litigation

Spicer Rudstrom's Michael J. Vetter, Sr. recently co-moderated a panel discussion for Primerus. "New Jurors on the Scene: Millennial Jurors and Their Effect on Litigation" focused on implications for jury selection, how to identify favorable and unfavorable jurors and the kinds of questions to ask in voir dire to make that distinction. Special focus was given to the best way to communicate with millennial jurors once litigation has begun.

Dr. Jill Huntley, director with Dispute Dynamics and head of that company's Philadelphia office, and Dr. Rick Fuentes, founding partner of R&D Strategic Solutions, LLC served as the panelists. Joining Mike as co-moderator was James Carlson from Christian & Small. 


SR Partnered with Travelers Insurance for United Way Golf Tournament


Pictured: Marc Dedman, Thomas Hickey, Christine Edwards (senior counsel of Travelers' Claim Legal Auto Group) and Chris Myatt

In September, Spicer Rudstrom was proud to partner with longstanding client, Travelers Insurance, for a golf tournament benefiting United Way. Three attorneys 


Marc Dedman Co-Moderated Discussion on the Merger of Law and Public Relations at Primerus Global Conference

Marc Dedman  served as co-moderator of a panel discussion at the Primerus Global Conference in October. Panelists discussed the merger of law and public relations and what that means in regard to the media, the public and the client in high-profile matters. How legal rules can impact crisis management was also addressed.

Panelists included:
Jeff Horst, partner,  Krevolin Horst LLC, joined Marc as co-moderator.
Kudos to You!

Please join us in congratulating these attorneys for a job well done!

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