What is “cumis counsel” and when is an insured party eligible for cumis counsel in San Diego?  Cumis counsel is an independent counsel that represents the interest of an insured defendant in a lawsuit that involves insurance coverage, when the underlying facts of the lawsuit create a “conflict of interest” for the insurance company’s lawyers.  Simply stated, the lawyers for the insurance company do not represent the insured, they represent the policy of the insurance company.  This can create a natural conflict of interest, as it is often in the best interests of the “policy” to throw the insured party “under the bus” (legally speaking) in order to protect the interests of the policy itself, and the insurance company who issued it.

This can be overwhelming for a normal citizen who is served with official papers notifying them they are a defendant in a lawsuit.  The bottom line can be quite simple: if you have been served with a lawsuit naming you, personally, as a defendant you may need cumis counsel.  In many cases, the lawyers representing the insurance company are required to send you a letter exposing the conflict of interest and notifying you that you may have financial liabilities outside of the coverage of your insurance policy.

We invite you to contact the cumis counsel attorneys at the Watkins Firm for a free and substantive consultation.  The attorneys at the Watkins Firm have decades of litigation experience and expertise here in the San Diego region, and a strong track record of success.  You are able to nominate your own cumis counsel, and it would be prudent to look for an experienced trial litigation team such as the attorneys at the Watkins Firm.  When is an insured party eligible for cumis counsel?  When the experienced cumis counsel attorneys at the Watkins Firm can help a defendant to show the insurance company lawyers can influence the outcome of the associated coverage, resulting in a conflict of interest.