USDC Bends Over Backwards to Give a Pro Se Plaintiff Some Causes of Action
Post 5157
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When You Represent Yourself in Litigation You Have a Fool for a Lawyer
Plaintiff Gordon Clark, proceeding pro se, sued Defendant Olga L. Orengo and her auto insurance carrier, The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (“Hanover”), related to a motor vehicle collision between Plaintiff and Orengo. Plaintiff alleged that Orengo was at fault for the accident, but Hanover has refused to accept liability. In Gordon Clark v. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., No. 3:24-cv-348 (SVN), United States District Court, D. Connecticut (July 22, 2025)
Claims and Motions
Plaintiff has brought eight claims against both Defendants and a ninth claim against Hanover for alleged violations of Plaintiff’s rights under federal and state law. Defendants have both moved to dismiss Plaintiff’s amended complaint in full for failure to state a claim. The court granted Orengo’s motion to dismiss in part and denied it in part, while Hanover’s motion to dismiss has been granted in full.
Factual Background
The incident occurred on the evening of July 22, 2023, when Plaintiff’s vehicle was “T-boned” by Orengo’s vehicle at a highway onramp. Plaintiff alleges that Orengo was found to be at fault by the State Police Officer and issued a written warning for failure to maintain proper lane. Following the accident, Plaintiff experienced significant physical pain and suffering, which he attributed to the collision.
The court’s ruling addresses several legal claims:
Negligence:
The court dismisses the negligence claims against Hanover but finds that Plaintiff has stated claims for negligence and negligence per se against Orengo.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED):
The court dismissed the IIED claims against both Defendants, finding that the conduct alleged does not rise to the level of extreme and outrageous required to sustain an IIED claim.
Negligent Infliction of Emotional Distress (NIED):
The court dismissed the NIED claims against both Defendants, noting that the claims are duplicative of the negligence claims and failed to state a claim.
Insurance Fraud:
The court dismisses the insurance fraud claims against both Defendants, finding that Plaintiff failed to meet the heightened pleading requirements for actions alleging fraud.
Assumption of Duty:
The court dismissed the assumption of duty claims without leave to replead, as the issue of assumption of duty is usually part of analyzing whether a duty exists to support a breach of contract or tort claim .
Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing:
The court dismisses these claims, noting that Plaintiff does not allege that a contract existed between him and Hanover or Orengo.
Malice:
The court dismisses the malice claims, finding that malice is not a legally cognizable tort claim.
Violation of CUTPA:
The court dismissed the CUTPA claims against Hanover, noting that Plaintiff has neither alleged more than one act of insurance misconduct nor asserted a breach of contract claim.
CONCLUSION
The court granted Hanover’s motion to dismiss in full, and granted in part and denies in part Orengo’s motion to dismiss. Plaintiff may file a Second Amended Complaint by August 21, 2025, consistent with the court’s ruling.
DISCUSSION
Beginning with Hanover, Plaintiff does not articulate how Hanover in any way caused the alleged injuries. Plaintiff’s arguments as to negligence focus solely on the collision between Orengo and Plaintiff. Hanover was not a party to the car accident and the amended complaint does not allege that Hanover acted negligently in any manner to cause the collision to occur.
Even if the negligence cause of action against Hanover were based on its alleged denial of liability coverage for the accident, it must still fail. Absent a direct contractual relationship between the injured party bringing the action and the insurance company of the alleged tortfeasor, or a third-party beneficiary relationship, an injured party is precluded from bringing a direct action for negligence against the insurer until judgment is obtained against the tortfeasor. It was undisputed that Plaintiff has no direct contractual relationship with Hanover.
As to Orengo, however, the Court held that Plaintiff has plausibly stated a negligence claim.
Negligence Per Se
Negligence per se effectively engrafts a particular statutory standard onto the standard of care imposed by the duty element of a negligence cause of action. To establish negligence per se, a plaintiff need not prove that the defendant failed to act as an ordinarily prudent person would have acted under the circumstances.
Plaintiff has alleged sufficient facts to support a negligence per se claim.
ZALMA OPINION
Automobile Liability Insurance is a contract that promises to defend and, if necessary, indemnify its insured. When there is no evidence that the insurer was involved in causing the accident there can be no case against the insurer. Pro Se plaintiffs cause this kind of problem for courts by charging torts that don’t exist and suing parties that had no involvement. Giving the Pro Se plaintiff the benefit of the doubt the court allowed an amended complaint so that more judicial time can be taken to deal with incompetent lawyering by a non lawyer.
(c) 2025 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
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Major Fraud Perpetrator Asserts Fifth Amendment Privilege to Avoid Prosecution
Post 5489
Posted on September 14, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Fraudster Refuses to Answer Questions About His Alleged Fraud
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gvicAMDr and at https://lnkd.in/gvicAMDr
In Great American Insurance Co. v. Gemstone Property Management, LLC, et al., No. 23-cv-9100 (LJL), United States District Court, S.D. New York (September 8, 2026) Great American Insurance Company alleged that it was defrauded through a scheme in which Subin Associates, LLP recruited individuals to stage construction-site injuries, arranged unnecessary medical treatment and litigation funding, and pursued fraudulent personal-injury claims.
Luis Manuel Garcia Salcedo, resulted in a $6 million settlement. Non-party Jose Hernandez allegedly worked as an assistant manager at Subin, operated Hernandez Associates, and owned litigation-funding companies that shared office space with Subin and provided services to its clients.
After Great American ...
Policy Limits Demand Accepted Settles Claim
Post 5434
Posted on August 26, 2026 by Barry Zalma
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A Contingent Offer Accepted Ends the Dispute
In Farmers Insurance Exchange, a California Reciprocal Insurance Exchange, The Superior Court For The County Of San Bernardino, Kathleen Ann Wood, E087128, California Court of Appeals, (July 9, 2026) Farmers Insurance Exchange insured Doyle Archer under an automobile policy with bodily injury limits of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Archer rear-ended Kathleen Ann Wood at a red light, causing Wood to assert a bodily injury claim against him. Wood’s counsel sent Farmers a pre-litigation settlement demand offering to resolve Wood’s claim for the available policy limits, stating that if the $100,000 demand exceeded the policy, the offer was for the policy limits.
Farmers timely responded in writing, agreed to pay Wood the $15,000 per-person policy limit, and provided the requested ...
Policy Limits Demand Accepted Settles Claim
Post 5434
Posted on August 26, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/g-ZtsSgK and at https://lnkd.in/ghMBdYWR
A Contingent Offer Accepted Ends the Dispute
In Farmers Insurance Exchange, a California Reciprocal Insurance Exchange, The Superior Court For The County Of San Bernardino, Kathleen Ann Wood, E087128, California Court of Appeals, (July 9, 2026) Farmers Insurance Exchange insured Doyle Archer under an automobile policy with bodily injury limits of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Archer rear-ended Kathleen Ann Wood at a red light, causing Wood to assert a bodily injury claim against him. Wood’s counsel sent Farmers a pre-litigation settlement demand offering to resolve Wood’s claim for the available policy limits, stating that if the $100,000 demand exceeded the policy, the offer was for the policy limits.
Farmers timely responded in writing, agreed to pay Wood the $15,000 per-person policy limit, and provided the requested ...
Communications with Arson Investigation is Privileged
Post 5488
Posted on September 11, 2026 by Barry Zalma
ACE Was Not Required To Produce Any Disputed Document Because Each Was Protected By The Attorney-Client Privilege, or The Work-Product Doctrine.
See the full video at and at https://rumble.com/v7fbzvo-arson-for-profit-is-ground-to-deny-claim.html
In Rubesne Resources LLC, a Colorado Limited Liability Company v. ACE Property And Casualty Insurance Company, a Foreign Corporation, Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-02300-DDD-SBP, United States District Court, D. Colorado (August 30, 2026) Rubesne Resources LLC sought insurance coverage from ACE Property and Casualty Company after a January 5, 2024 fire destroyed its business.
South Metro Fire Rescue classified the ignition as intentional, and ACE’s retained expert concluded that gasoline had been poured in multiple areas and ignited. ACE retained coverage and subrogation counsel, National Subrogation Services, and a cause-and-origin expert ...
Arson for Profit is Ground to Deny Claim
Posted on September 11, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Communications with Arson Investigation is Privileged
Post 5488
ACE Was Not Required To Produce Any Disputed Document Because Each Was Protected By The Attorney-Client Privilege, or The Work-Product Doctrine.
See the full video at and at https://rumble.com/v7fbzvo-arson-for-profit-is-ground-to-deny-claim.html
In Rubesne Resources LLC, a Colorado Limited Liability Company v. ACE Property And Casualty Insurance Company, a Foreign Corporation, Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-02300-DDD-SBP, United States District Court, D. Colorado (August 30, 2026) Rubesne Resources LLC sought insurance coverage from ACE Property and Casualty Company after a January 5, 2024 fire destroyed its business.
South Metro Fire Rescue classified the ignition as intentional.
After reviewing the disputed documents in camera, the court found that each was protected.
LAW
Colorado Revised Statutes § 10-4-1003 requires ...
Referral of Claims to its SIU Is Not Bad Faith
Post 5487
Posted on September 10, 2026 by Barry Zalma
In WIZ Collision, LLC, on behalf of itself and as assignee of Jawara Small, Chester Street LLC, and Aziz Brooks v. GEICO Corporation, No. 25-cv-4201 (KAM)(JAM), United States District Court, E.D. New York (August 28, 2026) Wiz Collision, a New York City auto-body shop, regularly repaired vehicles and submitted insurance claims for customers. It alleged that GEICO repeatedly approved claims and repairs, then referred certain claims to its Special Investigations Unit, stopped issuing payments, and delayed resolution despite ultimately finding no fraud.
Wiz Collision sued on its own behalf and as purported assignee of three customers, asserting contract, good-faith, consumer-protection, and injunctive claims. GEICO removed the case and moved to dismiss under Rule 12(b)(6).
LAW
Under Rule 12(b)(6), a complaint must plead facts supporting a facially plausible claim. Article III standing requires a concrete injury, ...
