What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

CRUG Law - Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner

Home
United States
Dublin, OH
CRUG Law - Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner

CRUG Law in Cleveland, Akron & Columbus provides litigation related services throughout Ohio--emphasis in handling insurance litigation as a business. Main St.

Cleveland - 875 Westpoint Parkway, STE 500 Cleveland
Akron - 520 S. STE 2551, Akron The information on this site is not, nor is intended to be legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation. ADVERTISEMENT ONLY

09/28/2026

CRUG is proud to announce that the 33rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for 2027 has been publicly released and 10 lawyers from Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner have been recognized.

08/27/2026

Pat Roche of CRUG's Cleveland office recently won a major trial victory on behalf of our construction contractor client.

In a high-stakes dispute involving a 400-unit apartment complex, the plaintiff sought $33 million in damages, alleging that our client’s $237,000 mechanic’s lien triggered a property foreclosure. The lawsuit asserted remaining claims of slander of title, defamation, and tortious interference with contract.

Having previously secured summary judgment on all underlying breach of contract and construction defect claims, Pat took the remaining counts to trial. Following the presentation of evidence, the Court granted a directed verdict to the contractor on all claims, delivering a complete defense victory.

07/28/2026

CRUG Jury Trial: Verdict Under Offer

Congratulations to Cleveland Partner Bev Adams on securing a positive trial result for Erie Insurance Company in a recent first-party claim in Cuyahoga County.

Case Summary
The Claim: The 47-year-old plaintiff underwent two post-accident wrist surgeries, alleged the need for future wrist fusion, and asked the jury for $3 million to $6 million arguing that while he injured his wrist when he was 18, there were no prior medical records showing any complaints or treatment of his wrist, even though he was treating for other orthopedic issues. Plaintiff had two separate experts to defend his position.

The Defense: Bev successfully demonstrated that the injury was tied to extensive, pre-existing wrist conditions dating back to age 18. Her argument was backed by compelling defense expert testimony.

The Outcome: The jury awarded $40,000, which was reduced to $35,000 net after a MedPay offset—a fraction of the demand and less than half of Erie’s pretrial offer.

05/11/2026

CRUG Successfully Defends Summary Judgment for Insurer

On April 30, 2026, the Eighth District Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court’s denial of Civ.R. 60(B) relief from a summary judgment originally granted in favor of CRUG’s client, State Farm, after the parties had completed the appraisal process required in the policy to resolve a dispute over valuation of stolen property. The Court of Appeals held that denial of Civ.R. 60(B) relief from judgment was proper because the insured’s arguments challenging the appraisal process, the neutrality and alleged improper influence of the umpire, the valuation methodology, and whether the appraisal was binding, were all attacks upon the merits of the the underlying summary judgment order, which the insured had not timely appealed, and Civ.R. 60(B) cannot be used as a substitute for a direct appeal.

CRUG Partner, Greg Collins represented State Farm in the trial court proceedings and successfully obtained the summary judgment order. CRUG Partner, Kurt Anderson defended State Farm in the appellate briefings and oral argument.

The Eighth District’s decision can be found at Alexandria Kung v. State Farm, 2026-Ohio-1565.

Gregory H. Collins (L) Kurt D. Anderson (R)

05/08/2026

We're growing in Cleveland, Akron and Columbus! We're actively seeking talented litigators in these offices.

Columbus Litigator Opportunity:
10+ year civil defense litigator licensed in Ohio to handle cases for our Columbus (Dublin, OH) office. This attorney will handle matters across a variety of practice areas, including personal injury, auto accidents, and insurance coverage. This attorney will handle all aspects of pre-trial discovery, fact and expert deposition, motion practice, substantive case evaluation, client reporting, and serve as trial counsel in appropriate settings.

Cleveland/Akron Litigator Opportunity:
3+ year civil defense litigator licensed in Ohio to handle cases for the Cleveland (Westlake) & Akron offices. This attorney will handle matters across a variety of practice areas, including personal injury, auto accidents, and insurance coverage. This attorney will handle all aspects of pre-trial discovery, fact and expert deposition, motion practice, substantive case evaluation, client reporting, and serve as trial counsel in appropriate settings.

If you want to move into a suburban office setting with free parking and places to walk, have a flexible work schedule, work with a team that values independence and personal growth, work in a growing firm where you can thrive, then check out CRUG today! www.cruglaw.com/careers

04/06/2026

CRUG Partner, Matt Duffy (Cleveland Office) recently secured a total victory for a high school coach in a case involving a student athlete injured at a community hot air balloon festival in Dales v Defiance County, et al.

The Plaintiff, a talented multi-sport athlete, was injured while assisting with hot-air balloon disassembly after dark as part of a volunteer activity related to his school. He was injured when he stepped in a hole in the dark adversely affecting his athletic hopes. He sued his school, some of its employees, the hot-air balloon company and a local charity for his injuries. The outcome of the case turned on three critical defense doctrines:

1️⃣ Primary Assumption of Risk: The inherent risks associated with the activity. 2️⃣ Open and Obvious: Hazards that are discernible to any reasonable person. 3️⃣ The “Step in the Dark” Doctrine: A person who intentionally steps into total darkness without knowledge of the hazards does so at their own peril.

By focusing on these defenses, Matt and the other defense counsel secured Summary Judgment for all defendants.

Proud to have represented my client through his homeowners’ policy and to see a final appealable order bringing this matter to a close.

03/25/2026

CRUG Wins Summary Judgment in Complex Coverage Dispute:

We are proud to announce that Eric Grinnell and Rich Garner recently secured a total victory for our client in Progressive Preferred Insurance Company v. McDowell Enterprise, LLC.

The case involved a high-stakes commercial trucking accident where the claimant sought both liability and UM/UIM coverage following a fatal collision.

The claimant sustained significant injuries and had already received nearly $1 million in Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) benefits. Despite this, they sought additional recovery against the employer and the estate of the driver.

Eric and Rich argued that the specific language of the commercial policy—including crucial employer liability and BWC exclusions—precluded both liability coverage for the defendants and UM/UIM coverage for the claimant.

The court agreed, granting Summary Judgment in favor of the insurer and confirming that no coverage was owed under the policy terms.

(L-R) Eric Grinnell, Partner, Richard Garner, Partner

03/24/2026

CRUG Prevails in Another Insurance Coverage Dispute:

We are proud to announce that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recently granted summary judgment in favor of our client, United Specialty Insurance Company (USIC).

The Case at a Glance: Following a catastrophic 2019 trucking accident, a settlement was reached by two insurers without ever notifying USIC or seeking their consent yet later sought USIC's "contribution" for the settlement.

Contribution Denied: The Court found that USIC suffered "plain prejudice" because notice was only provided after the settlement was finalized. The Court rejected arguments that USIC’s involvement wouldn’t have changed the outcome, calling those claims "merely speculative."

The Bottom Line: Notice and consent provisions matter—especially for excess carriers. Generally, you cannot settle a case without notice or or consent from an insurer and then ask an insurer to pay the bill afterward.

Congratulations to CRUG Partner Sunny Horacek who drafted the key portions of the motion and presented the winning oral argument!

Read the full citation: National Union Fire Insurance Co. of Pittsburgh, PA v. TT Club Mutual Insurance Ltd., No. 2:23-cv-3696 (S.D. Ohio Mar. 19, 2026).

03/02/2026

Eric Grinnell, a Partner in CRUG's Cleveland Office, recently received a defense jury verdict in the case of Bilal Ataya v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company. Following a three-day trial in Cuyahoga County, a jury returned a verdict in favor of CRUG's client (State Farm) on all counts, including claims for breach of contract, insurance bad faith, and punitive damages.

The Case: The Plaintiff alleged that a July 2023 storm necessitated a total replacement of the roof, siding, and windows, claiming approximately $172,000 in economic damages. Central to the "bad faith" claim was the fact that State Farm performed six separate inspections and had internal draft estimates that were not ultimately approved.

The Outcome: Despite testimony from the Plaintiff’s neighbors, contractors, and a window representative, Eric successfully demonstrated that State Farm's handling of the claim met its contractual obligations and industry standards.

12/20/2025

Our Columbus office celebrated with an Italian Christmas feast at Valentina's. We even had an old fashioned "olan-mills"- type family photo, espresso martinis and meatballs as big as Dan's head!

Address

655 Metro Place South, Suite 200
Dublin, OH
43017

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.cruglaw.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when CRUG Law - Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to CRUG Law - Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner:

Want your practice to be the top-listed law practice in Dublin?