Salley, Hite, Mercer & Resor focuses on litigation involving insurance coverage issues and regularly drafts insurance coverage opinions and advises insurance companies in coverage dispute actions, acting as Coverage Counsel for a number of insurers doing business in Louisiana. Louisiana in unique in that it is one of only two jurisdictions in the United States that provides third party claimants with a right of direct action against liability carriers. The Firm routinely represents insurers who are sued under Louisiana’s Direct Action Statute, including Direct Action claims against insurers in litigation that involve professional liability, mass tort, toxic tort, class action, construction defect, environmental and bad faith claims, among others. Louisiana’s Direct Action Statute provides insurers with an opportunity to address coverage issues in ongoing litigation between a claimant and an insured, as opposed to filing a separate Declaratory Judgment Action. The attorneys of the Firm have enjoyed great success in presenting fact issues to juries or judges during trial for resolution in order to apply those fact findings to the coverage issue in dispute in order for the Court to rule upon the coverage dispute. The Firm has extensive experience working with virtually every type of insurance policy utilized in the industry, including professional liability, commercial and personal automobile, general liability, employers liability, homeowners, builders risk, excess and umbrella policies, as well as manuscripted policies and endorsements.