Judge Rules in Favor of Oxford Community Schools in Insurance Coverage Lawsuit

Taft served as co-counsel alongside Perkins Coie in achieving a significant court victory for Oxford Community Schools in Michigan and the victims of the tragic 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School. The Oakland County Circuit Court agreed with the position taken by Perkins Coie and Taft regarding the amount of potential insurance coverage available to the district and its employees. The judge ruled on summary disposition that each bullet striking a victim constituted its own "occurrence," thereby significantly increasing the coverage amount available under the school district's insurance policy for lawsuits filed by the victims' families. The insurer unsuccessfully argued that the entire mass shooting was a single "occurrence" that would have capped the available coverage at just $5 million.

Taft litigation partners Ron Holman and David Adler represented Oxford Community Schools with Bradley Dlatt from Perkins Coie. Holman, a partner in Cleveland, defends complex litigation and class actions, including matters involving commercial disputes, unfair and deceptive consumer sales practices, trade secrets, fraud, violations of statutory law, employment law, and workers' compensation issues. Adler, a partner in Detroit, specializes in commercial and general liability matters with a focus on contract disputes and business torts, the defense of injury and property damage claims, real estate litigation, and insurance coverage.