Melbourne, Florida · Serving clients statewide
For counsel
Michael Sapourn assists plaintiff and defense counsel with case analysis and testimony on insurance contract construction, claims administration, agency management and the standard of care expected of insurance agents.
23 years as an agency principal, including 14 as President and CEO, after starting out running the agency’s commercial lines department.
Faculty member of The National Alliance, which teaches the CIC and CRM curriculum, and a former PIA board director.
Georgetown Law JD, member of the Florida and DC Bars. He understands what counsel needs from a report and from testimony.
Qualified as an expert in federal and state courts, with opinion reports, affidavits, depositions and trial testimony since 2004.
Agency Practices
Also: bad faith claims practices, policy interpretation, flood zone and flood coverage issues, and life insurance and annuity suitability.
Recent engagements
| Year | Court | For | Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida | Defendant | Whether an agent breached the standard of care when placing yacht coverage that carried a port restriction tied to unfinished repairs. |
| 2023 | Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, FL | Plaintiff | Agent's failure to treat a Mack truck with a concrete pump as a commercial auto, leaving it without physical damage coverage. |
| 2021 | Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, Brevard County, FL | Plaintiff | Lost income of a newly trained life insurance salesperson disabled in an auto accident. |
| 2020 | Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, FL | Plaintiff | Whether unnecessary delays in settling a sinkhole claim were a bad faith claims practice. |
| 2019 | Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County, FL | Plaintiff | Agent's standard of care when procuring commercial auto fleet coverage for a family business. |
| 2019 | Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas County, FL | Defendant | Whether certificates of insurance showed compliance with a services agreement's insurance provisions. |
| 2019 | Twentieth Judicial Circuit, Collier County, FL | Plaintiff | Agent's standard of care when business income coverage was placed with 90% coinsurance after a no-coinsurance form was proposed. |
| 2018 | Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Jackson County, MO | Plaintiff | Agent's standard of care when writing a personal auto policy without confirming the proper named insured. |
An insurance expert witness analyzes claims, coverage and the conduct of insurers and agents against industry standards, then explains those standards to the court through reports, affidavits, depositions and trial testimony.
Primarily the insurance agent standard of care, claims handling and bad faith practices, insurance policy construction and interpretation, agency management and operations, and the suitability of life insurance and annuity sales.
Both. His testimony record includes engagements for policyholders, agents, agencies and insurers, on both the plaintiff and defense side.
Call or use the form with the parties, venue and a short description of the issues. Mr. Sapourn will run a conflict check and respond with availability, rates and his current Rule 26 disclosure.
Include the parties and venue so a conflict check can be run.
Sending this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we confirm we can help.