Zachary C. Warzel

My Colorado law practice focuses on helping clients whose insurance benefits have been wrongfully delayed or denied, assisting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, and representing clients in all types of plaintiff personal injury cases.

I am a lawyer that fights insurance companies. I guide my clients through complex insurance disputes when insurance companies act in bad faith and fail to honor their commitments under automobile, UM/UIM, disability, homeowners, commercial general liability, property, errors & omissions, directors & officers, and professional liability insurance policies, among many others.

I have secured tens of millions of dollars in judgments and settlements in insurance bad faith, sexual abuse, wrongful death, premises liability, trucking, and complex personal injury cases. My extensive insurance law experience includes handling notable appeals in the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals, and the 10th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.

Bad faith insurance claims can result from the mishandling of the claims process in a personal injury case. My deep experience and knowledge of insurance law are helpful to my clients when they are facing situations where their payments or claims are being delayed or denied by the insurance company. I hold insurance companies accountable and enforce their duty to act honestly and in good faith.

Policyholder Insurance Law and Litigation

I was lead trial counsel on a case that went to the Colorado Supreme Court in 2018, which clarified the state’s insurance laws to further protect the rights of policyholders. This case was nominated for a “Case of the Year” award from the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association. In this matter, the insurer’s agents sold the policy as straightforward protection for a “first diagnosis” of cancer, but in reality, the policy’s ambiguous fine print gave the insurer cover to deny claims for any condition for which treatment had previously been sought that may have “led to” the diagnosis. When my client received a cancer diagnosis many months after purchasing the policy, despite no cancer treatment or even concern that he had cancer at the time of purchase, the company denied the claim, wrongfully claiming he had prior treatment.

I took the case to trial and a Colorado jury sent a strong message to the insurance industry that bad faith conduct and bullying will not be tolerated in this state, including a sizable award of punitive damages. Ultimately, the Colorado Court of Appeals and Supreme Court agreed, despite the insurer’s efforts to escape liability through the appeals process.

Insurance Law Expertise

Based on my comprehensive experience in insurance law, I am a frequent speaker and author on a range of bad faith and insurance coverage topics directed to other attorneys, insurance agents and adjusters, government workers, and other industry professionals.

I am also often retained by other lawyers as an expert witness in the area of insurance industry standards, testifying in state and federal cases on insurance-related issues to help juries understand the complex insurance issues involved in bad faith cases.

Colorado Sex Abuse Claims

I also have the honor of pursuing justice, accountability, and closure on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse by employees and agents of institutions, including religious organizations, schools, and sports programs.

Child sexual abuse has been prevalent in our nation’s schools and churches for decades. More and more child athletes are reporting that they were sexually assaulted in sports at all levels including the Olympic level. Large youth-serving organizations such as scouting have covered up sexual misconduct and assault against children for years to hide from scandal. As a plaintiff lawyer for adult survivors of child sexual abuse that happened in Colorado, I aggressively pursue justice and hold sexual predators and the organizations that protect them accountable.

In this regard, I was co-lead counsel on a large group of child sexual abuse cases arising out of abuse by clergy under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, including numerous cases of abuse at the hands of Colorado’s most prolific abusive priest, Harold Robert White. This group of cases was among the first wave of publicly filed lawsuits against the Catholic Church in Colorado in the early 2000s related to clergy abuse. I am proud to continue this work to this day, currently representing dozens of clients related to childhood sexual abuse at various institutions under the recently passed Colorado Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act.