Lieff Cabraser partner Mark Chalos submitted comments last week to the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Advisory Commission on proposed amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure on behalf of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA).
Chalos supports proposed changes to the rules intended to increase efficiency and fairness throughout the civil courts of Tennessee. He advocated for an amendment requiring that parties disclose the amount of liability insurance they have, as is required by nearly every other state in the nation.
“In practice, one additional key piece of information that tends to shape litigation strategies, helps parties determine the proportionality of resource warranted, and, in many instances, moves litigation toward resolution, is the amount of liability insurance that is available to satisfy any judgment,” wrote Chalos, who is managing partner of Lieff Cabraser Nashville and Vice President – Middle District for TTLA.
In its analysis, the Court concluded that discovery of insurance coverage would encourage mediation and settlement of cases as well as support “just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of every action.”
Another proposed amendment adds mandatory initial disclosures to the state that the federal rules already require, which Chalos also wrote to support. The current rule allows for potential delays in mandatory initial disclosures when a case includes multiple defendants. Chalos and TTLA advocate for timing of disclosures to be based on service to defendants individually and on independent time frames.
About Mark Chalos
The managing partner of Lieff Cabraser’s Nashville office, Mark Chalos represents individuals who have suffered catastrophic personal injuries and families whose loved ones died due to the negligence or misconduct of others. Mark represents counties and cities across the U.S. as well as Native American tribes and health organizations in the national opioids litigation. He is serving as part of the national case leadership in these cases, including preparing bellwether cases for trial.
Through jury trials, Chalos has held wrong-doers accountable, including representing 32 school children who were videotaped undressing in their school locker room ($1.28 million jury verdict) and a young woman who suffered a severe brain injury in a car wreck (nearly $4 million jury verdict). He also obtained an $8 million arbitration award on behalf of a business client, and overall has obtained millions of dollars in settlements for families who have been harmed by wrongful conduct.
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