All in the Family
Before law school, Hackett had already gained a basic understanding of insurance from his father, who worked as an insurance broker for his entire 50-year career. When he graduated, Hackett worked for a firm that did defense work for Lloyd’s of London and other London Syndicates handling both tort litigation and insurance coverage cases. He eventually decided to focus exclusively on coverage work when he took a job with Cassiday Schade in 1990.
“This extra course of study has been extremely helpful in my coverage practice.”
Hackett, discussing the value of earning the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and Associate in Risk Management designations.
Coverage Concerns
Hackett’s best advice to younger lawyers doing coverage work? They need to put themselves in the shoes of the insurance company they are representing, and work hard to come up with the best advice that takes into consideration the big picture of liability, damages, defense expense, case value, and the need to avoid extra-contractual liability. Unfortunately, he says he hasn’t found a shortcut to hard work and long hours.
“There will be more bodily injury suits filed regarding liability for workers, nursing home residents, and others who were infected with COVID-19 and are seeking recovery.”
Hackett, discussing a trend he foresees in claims litigation.
Trend Watch
In addition to COVID-19-related claims trends, Hackett anticipates more coverage litigation involving environmental liability, products liability claims, and construction-defect claims, each of which he says can involve complex issues of policy interpretation, allocation of loss among multiple insurers, and the enforceability of exclusions designed or intended to limit or exclude coverage. He says it is also likely that there will be more coverage litigation involving cyber liability, ransomware, and data breach claims.
“For the past few years, I have played guitar in a cover band called Who’s Who, which plays the classic rock music of The Who.”
Hackett, who says the band regularly plays at top venues and music festivals in the Chicagoland area and Midwest.