Bryan Ashlock - Vernis & Bowling

Bryan Ashlock, Esq.
Department Managing Attorney
Vernis & Bowling of Palm Beach, P.A. 618 U.S. Highway One North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (561) 775-9822
Email: BAshlock@Florida-Law.com
Fax: (561) 775-9821
Website: www.national-law.com
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Verdicts and Dispositions

Ruthy Sigui v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Bryan Ashlock and Brandon Crane (North Palm Beach, FL) (Property) obtained a Defense Verdict on behalf of their client, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, in a first-party property breach of contract action related to a Tropical Storm Eta claim.

Plaintiff sought the replacement of her roof and payment for damages to the interior of her home. After an inspection by an independent adjuster, Citizens denied her claim due to exclusions in the policy of insurance for wear, tear, and deterioration to the roof, as well as the lack of a peril-created opening at the property. Plaintiff subsequently filed suit and provided Citizens with the report of expert engineer Harold Charles, who testified at trial that the damages he observed to the Plaintiff’s roof were clearly caused by tropical storm force winds experienced during Tropical Storm Eta. He relied upon a Four-Point inspection done 2 years before the storm, which showed that the roof had no active leaks and was in good condition when the policy was issued by Citizens. Plaintiff also presented the testimony of her public adjuster who provided an estimate to replace the roof at the Plaintiff’s property and also correlated the interior damage to leaks caused by the windstorm.

For the defense, expert engineer, Dr. Ziad Azzi, testified on behalf of Citizens that there was no wind damage to the Plaintiff’s property caused by Tropical Storm Eta, and that the leaks the homeowner experienced were due to long-term deterioration of the roof sheathing, as well as wear and tear to the tile roof. Defendant also presented evidence from a pre-purchase Home Inspection report, which occurred five days before the Four-Point inspection presented by Plaintiff, which showed the roof had material defects at the time of purchase.

The jury found in favor of Citizens finding that Plaintiff failed to prove she sustained a physical loss during the policy period. Defendant’s motion seeking the recovery of Citizens’ attorney’s fees and costs is pending.
REFTAM, LLC v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Bryan Ashlock (North Palm Beach, Florida) (First-Party Property) obtained Summary Judgment on behalf of his client, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”), in a first-party breach of contract action brought by Plaintiff against their homeowners insurance carrier.

The Plaintiff filed a property damage claim with Citizens alleging damage to the roof of their property and that Citizens had improperly denied the claim. Citizens denied the claim on the basis that there was no damage to the property caused by wind and that any damage to the roof was related to wear and tear.

During discovery, it was revealed that the Plaintiff, REFTAM, did not own the property on the date of loss, but had instead transferred the ownership to the owner of the LLC six months before. The individual owner of the LLC was not named in the policy as an insured or an additional insured.

As a result, Citizens filed a Motion for Summary on the basis that Plaintiff did not have an insurable interest in the property on the date of loss. The trial judge granted Final Judgment in Citizens’ favor, and our Motion for Entitlement to Recover Attorney’s Fees and Costs, filed pursuant to an expired Proposal for Settlement, is currently pending.
Rueda v. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
Bryan Ashlock (North Palm Beach, Florida) (First-Party Property) obtained Summary Judgment on behalf of his client, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”), in a first party breach of contract action brought by Plaintiffs against their homeowners insurance carrier.

The Plaintiffs filed a property damage claim with Citizens alleging that Hurricane Ian damaged the roof of their property and that Citizens had improperly denied the claim. Citizens denied the claim on the basis that there was no damage to the property caused by wind and that any damage to the roof was related to wear and tear.

Following depositions, Citizens filed a Motion for Summary Judgment supported by an affidavit of their expert engineer. The trial judge granted Final Judgment in Citizens’ favor, and our Motion for Entitlement to Recover Attorney’s Fees and Costs, filed pursuant to an expired Proposal for Settlement, is currently pending.

Areas Of Practice

Civil Litigation
First and Third Party Property and Casualty Claims
Liability Defense
Premises Liability

Bar & Court Admission

Florida Bar
United States District Court of the Southern District of Florida

Education

Graduate:
University of Miami School of Law, Juris Doctor
The Ohio State University, Master of Arts
Undergraduate:
University of Missouri, Bachelor of Journalism

Memberships

Palm Beach County Bar Association
Florida Defense Lawyers Association

Bryan Ashlock was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with a Bachelor of Journalism with a focus in Strategic Communications. He then went on to attend the Ohio State University where he obtained a Master of Arts in Sports Management. Bryan went on to attend law school at the University of Miami School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree. While in law school Bryan served as Writing and Research Editor of the University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review.

Bryan began his law career practicing insurance defense at West Palm Beach law firm, where he handled all varieties of civil litigation, including but not limited to insurance coverage disputes, professional malpractice, extra-contractual liability (bad faith), premises liability, personal injury, and wrongful death. He practiced extensively in first-party property insurance defense relating to coverage disputes throughout the State of Florida.

Bryan’s goal as a defense attorney managing his own team is to provide not only the best legal advice he can, but also to go above and beyond to ensure clients feel supported. Bryan prides himself on his ability to effectively communicate the best path forward and to consistently exceed client expectations with inventive solutions. Bryan’s years of experience in the first-party property field here in Florida have taught him that being solution-oriented not only gets the best results but ensures that clients’ costs are minimized.

Since joining Vernis & Bowling of Palm Beach, Bryan has focused his practice on first-party property insurance defense. He has set up systems to support client experience and results, ensure communication is as timely as possible, and has specifically trained the staff on their role in creating a seamless process for clients. Clients can know that any case that lands on Bryan’s desk will receive world-class service and support to ensure their legal matter is handled in the most efficient and beneficial way possible.

When not practicing law, Bryan can often be found on the golf course or spending time with his wife and their menagerie of animals.

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