Specialties
Areas of Expertise The firm?s cases extend far beyond insurance matters to encompass many areas of consumer fraud and product liability. Central to the firm?s practice is the belief that even relatively small consumer frauds ? in which an individual?s damages are a few hundred dollars or less ? can be effectively remedied through class-action litigation. In 1998, James, Hoyer grew substantially when it merged with a group of lawyers experienced in representing insurance companies. These lawyers, Terry Smiljanich and John Yanchunis, now practice exclusively on behalf of the victims of fraud but with the keen insight gained from their experience and knowledge of the insurance industry. In June 2000, James, Hoyer, Newcomer & Smiljanich, P.A. along with its co-counsel negotiated a $215-million class-action settlement with insurer American General Corp., on behalf of thousands of African-American customers who were systematically overcharged for small burial policies on the basis of race...