Setting the Standard

Attorneys

Paul D. Coates

Partner (Member)

Paul Coates has been practicing civil litigation since 1981, primarily personal injury, products liability, wrongful death, insurance matters, and commercial litigation. For many of those years he also practiced insurance defense, although his practice has now developed into one representing mainly injured claimants. He practices in both state and federal courts in North Carolina and is admitted to the United States Supreme Court. Disability insurance claims (including UNUM Disability claims) are some of the many types of claims he handles for plaintiffs and claimants. He has extensive jury verdict experience. He is a frequent speaker and lecturer at seminars for lawyers and insurance adjusters, and was the Editor of the North Carolina Insurance Law Quarterly. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Practice Areas:

Insurance Coverage
Insurance Defense
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Personal Injury
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Litigation
Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions:

North Carolina
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina

Education:

University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, NC, 1981 – J.D.
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 1978 – B.S. (Magna Cum Laude)

Published Works:

The Carvel Touch, For the Defense (DRI publication), 1993
Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Consideration of Multiple Policies, The Adjusters Report, Fall 1989

Sample Reported Cases:

Hunter v. Guardian Life Insurance Co., 162 N.C. App. 477, 593 S.E.2d 595 (2004)
North Carolina Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Allen, 146 N.C. App. 539, 553 S.E.2d 420 (2001)
Allstate Ins. Co. v. McCrae, 325 N.C. 411, 384 S.E.2d 1 (1989)
North Carolina Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Hilliard, 90 N.C. App. 507, 369 S.E.2d 386 (1988)
North Carolina Baptist Hospitals, Inc. v. Mitchell, 88 N.C. App. 263, 362 S.E.2d 841 (1987)

Membership in Law-Related Organizations:

Greensboro Bar Association
North Carolina Bar Association
North Carolina State Bar
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice (AAJ)
North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ)

Miscellaneous:

AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell
North Carolina Super Lawyer®, 2008–2009
Best Lawyers in America®, 2008-2010

Legal Decisions of Interest

Plaintiff’s appointment as administratrix of a decedent’s estate the day after her complaint was filed and after the statute of limitations had run related back to the filing of the summons and therefore her wrongful death claim was not barred by the statute of limitations. Tallman v. City of Gastonia, No. COA08-1021 (N.C. App. Sept. 15, 2009). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Punitive damages upheld when Court believed there was sufficient evidence that defendant’s restaurant manager’s conduct was willful and wanton based upon his conduct toward plaintiff at the restaurant. Everhart v. O’Charley’s Inc., No. COA08-1454 (N.C. App. Oct. 6, 2009). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Plaintiff (representative of deceased employee) failed in her burden of forecasting evidence that a parent company affirmatively undertook to provide a safe working environment at the parent company’s subsidiary plant, beyond concern or minimal contact about safety matters, and the parent company did not assume primary responsibility for industrial safety at the subsidiary’s plant. Edwards v. GE Lighting Systems, Inc., No. COA09-247 (N.C. App. Nov. 3, 2009). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Plaintiff allowed to pursue claim to have “corporate veil” pierced of defendant company so that the obligation on a note by individual owning 99% of the stock of the defendant company could be satisfied from assets of defendant company, even though the company did not participate in the making of the note giving rise to the owner’s obligation. Fischer Investment Capital, Inc. v. Catawba Development Corp., No. COA08-1407 (N.C. App. Nov. 3, 2009). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Homeowners Association did not owe to a minor who was struck while riding his bike by a vehicular driver a legal duty to maintain the foliage in the common area of the housing subdivision. Fairbanks v. Brewington, No. COA09-237 (N.C. App. Jan. 19, 2010). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Plaintiff was contributorily negligent when she tripped over an end table at a hospital, and she presented no evidence that her attention was diverted as she was walking. Snow v. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, No. COA09-189 (N.C. App. Jan. 19, 2010). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Where the Complaint was not frivolous based upon the facts and the law, but because Plaintiff had a history of filing frivolous pleadings in general and against Defendant in particular, the trial court could conclude that Plaintiff filed the Complaint for an improper purpose. Ward v. Jett Properties, LLC, No. COA08-1508 (N.C. App. Feb. 2, 2010). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
Where the plaintiff mother alleged that the city was negligent by failing to comply with safety statutes and city ordinances regulating the maintenance of city streets, obstructions to vision and traffic, and parking regulations, and she did not seek to recover damages for the death of her child based on a law enforcement agency's failure to exercise its general duty to protect the public, she was not barred by the public duty doctrine. Beckles-Palomares v. Logan, No. COA09-567 (N.C. App. Feb. 2, 2010). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.
The improvement-to-real-property statute of repose does not apply to a claim against a city for failing to maintain its streets because a city has the duty to exercise a continuing supervision over its streets in order that it may know their condition and it is held to have knowledge of a defect which such inspection would have disclosed to it. Beckles-Palomares v. Logan, No. COA09-567 (N.C. App. Feb. 2, 2010). Click here for a copy of the case opinion.

Office Location

Phone:: 336.282.8848
Fax:: 336.282.8409

3203 Brassfield Road Greensboro, NC 27410