Nigel Trevethan*

Nigel advises insurers, insureds, and self- insured clients on risk management issues including coverage and the defence of complex losses.

Nigel also manages the accounts of those insurance clients who have a large volume of litigation work with varying levels of complexity and legal needs. In managing these accounts Nigel ensures that every Harper Grey lawyer who works on these files maintain an exceptionally high level of customer service combined quality legal work.

Specific examples of work that Nigel has done include the following:

• Managing a large national insurers account such that Harper Grey was consistently ranked on audits as the highest performing firm in Western Canada.
• Defending action against an insurer in an action against them by an insured who was alleged to have made misrepresentations in the application for insurance and renewal of that insurance.  The insured had been sued in California for $250 million and sued the insurers who had denied defence and indemnity to the insured as a result of the misrepresentations.
• Writing a plain English excess automobile policy wording for a national insurer.
• Writing policy wordings for specialized programs such as excess automobile coverage, municipal liability coverage, and errors and omission programs.
• Defending complex bodily injury files including a professional athletes claim against the Canadian Football league for his concussion history.
• Handling large volumes of subrogation work including geographic mass tort claims such as regional losses caused by electrical surges or water losses. An example includes an accident where a driver crashed his vehicle into a power pole, resulting in a power surge in a residential neighborhood. More than 200 property claims resulted. Nigel organized a subrogated action on behalf of numerous insurers. A significant settlement was obtained.

Nigel is well known by insurers for his diligent and quick pursuit of their subrogated interests. He has successfully and efficiently obtained substantial recoveries for insurers in the areas of product liability, fire, flood, and structural defects.

Nigel handled a subrogated matter stemming from an accident where a driver crashed his vehicle into a power pole, resulting in a power surge in a residential neighborhood. More than 200 property damage claims resulted, each worth between $5,000 – $10,000. Nigel organized a subrogated claim on behalf of numerous insurers, suing the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the driver. The matter was handled much more efficiently than if each claim had been dealt with separately.

Nigel is currently defending an Ontario class action against a health professional who was inserting non-Health Canada approved stents in patients.

He is also defending a retailer in a class action relating to contaminated pet food.

Nigel is general counsel to several provincial organizations of professional home inspectors. He built and manages a risk management program for some of these organizations. Nigel defends many different types of professionals when they are sued.

Nigel is general counsel for an association of medical professionals to whom he advises on many practice issues.