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Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2011) – A Los Angeles Superior Court jury, after just three hours of deliberation, awarded the plaintiff $4.2 million in damages in her civil lawsuit against Paul Revere Life Insurance Company and UNUM Group. The jury found defendants liable for bad faith and for having breached their insurance disability contract with their insured.
The plaintiff was a dental hygienist in 1988 when she purchased an individual disability insurance policy from Paul Revere. Beginning in 1996, the plaintiff developed several disabling medical conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome and severe cervical pain radiating into her upper extremities, preventing her from being able to perform the repetitive motions and fine hand manipulations necessary for cleaning teeth. She worked though the pain and discomfort for several years but had to stop working entirely in 1999.
Under the terms of her policy, she qualified for disability benefits for the remainder of her life, even if she was able to work in some other profession. On March 31, 2008, after 12 years of paying disability benefits, UNUM Group abruptly and unreasonably terminated the plaintiff’s benefits. The plaintiff was represented by Mark T. Quigley and Ivan Puchalt with the El Segundo, CA law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP.
Jury selection for the trial began on January 10, 2011 before the Hon. Mary H. Strobel in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC 410915.
The plaintiff’s attorneys presented evidence that when UNUM Group terminated benefits on March 31, 2008, they ignored the recommendations of her treating physician who supported her disability and deliberately chose not to wait for the results of an MRI test which would have supported her claim. The trial ultimately exposed UNUM’s bad faith behavior which included UNUM’s misuse of surveillance video, selective use of independent medical examinations, and the targeting of specific claims for “resolution”.
“The Jury clearly told UNUM Group that if they do not treat their policyholders fairly, and act in good faith, then they will be held accountable. Justice was served today.” stated attorney Mark T. Quigley.
The verdict consisted of both a compensatory damage award and a punitive damage award. Attorney Ivan Puchalt added, “Hopefully, UNUM heard the message sent by the Jury to cease their bad faith conduct. Only time will tell.”
Named in Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms,” Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP ranks as Tier 1 Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs in Los Angeles.
Many firm members have been honored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, including Browne Greene, Christine Spagnoli, and Bruce Broillet, recipients of the Marvin E. Lewis Award. In addition, attorneys Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr, Molly McKibben, and Tobin Lanzetta has been honored with the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award.
All of our attorneys are proud to be active members of the Los Angeles County Bar Association or LACBA.
Our attorneys were featured in TopVerdict for having one of the Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts in California in 2019, with $15 million won for the plaintiff in Keck v. Bel-Air Bay Club.
Partners Geoff Wells and Ivan Puchalt were both named among the 2025 Consumer Attorney Visionaries by LA Times Studios.
Several partners are active members in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, with attorneys Browne Greene, Bruce Broillet, and Christine Spagnoli named “Trial Lawyer of the Year.”
Firm partners Christine D. Spagnoli and Molly McKibben have both been honored by the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles and are active members.
After winning $2.6 million for the plaintiff’s side in a head-on collision case, our victory was named in the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California in 2019 by TopVerdict.
Several of our partners are members in the American Board of Trial Advocates, a national invite-only association consisting of the most experienced trial lawyers.
Our team includes several Fellows and Associates with the invite-only International Society of Barristers in recognition of their trial advocacy.
Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP, was featured by TopVerdict in the Top 100 Settlements across all practice areas in California for 2019.
Bruce A. Broillet and Christine D. Spagnoli are Fellows with the invite-only International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a group of elite trial lawyers from over 30 countries.
Recipients of this recognition are held up to the same standards as for The Best Lawyers in America, but only legal professionals in the first ten years of their careers qualify. Four attorneys at GBW have been recognized with this award in 2021.
Founding partners Browne Greene and Bruce A. Broillet are both members of the exclusive invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, as two of the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in America.
Our firm has more attorneys on the Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars lists than any other law firm in Southern California, with 15 members selected.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partiner, Tim J. Wheeler who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney.
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