Anna Cathcart practices in the firm’s insurance practice group, including advising clients on pre-litigation matters and representing clients in coverage disputes in state and federal courts. Her experience includes counseling clients on complex coverage issues in both the first-party property and third-party liability contexts, including with respect to commercial general liability, commercial property, condominium, homeowners, flood, law enforcement liability, and manuscript policies. Anna has extensive experience representing insurance clients in first-party hurricane related disputes, including counseling clients through appraisal and litigation. She has also defended insurance clients against allegations of “bad faith” and unfair and deceptive trade practices. She also counsels clients with respect to suspected fraudulent claims, including conducting examinations under oath.
Anna's experience also includes handling insurance defense litigation matters, in which she has represented clients in various construction defect, personal injury, and wrongful death lawsuits in North Carolina and South Carolina courts. Prior to joining Phelps Dunbar, she practiced in the government contracts group of a prominent firm in the Washington, DC area.
Anna also serves on Phelps' Associate Development committee.
Experience
- Obtained summary judgment on insured’s unfair and deceptive trade practices claim stemming from fire loss under a commercial property policy, including successful defense of the judgment in the insured’s appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Investigated suspected fraud in connection with multi-million dollar claim for damage to commercial property from Hurricane Florence, including examination under oath of the insured.
- Represented carrier in federal rescission action related to misrepresentations discovered during adjustment of hurricane claim for damage to a North Carolina hotel.
- Obtained favorable outcome for insurer in connection with complex business income claim brought by insured after explosion at chemical manufacturing plant.
- Represented insurer in bad faith and breach of contract action brought by insured regarding coverage for wrongful death claim involving pizza delivery driver.