Christopher A. Pearcy
Senior Partner
Phone: (317) 632-4402
Fax: (317) 632-5595
Email: cpearcy@humesmith.com
Chris maintains a diverse practice representing individuals, small businesses, and insurance companies in legal matters throughout Indiana and Illinois. He focuses much of his time on personal injury litigation and insurance coverage disputes, but also handles a wide range of other legal matters. Call Chris today to discuss your legal problem or question.
Practice Areas:
- Civil Litigation
- Personal Injury
- Insurance Defense
- Products Liability
- Dram Shop (alcohol liability)
- Complex Insurance Coverage
- Premises and Auto liability
- Construction Defects
- Construction Accidents
- Environmental Claims/Toxic Torts
- Large Fire Loss
- Subrogation
- Insurance Fraud
- Business/Contract Disputes
- Employment Law
- Mass Tort/Disaster Litigation
- Workers Compensation
- First and Third Party Insurance Litigation
- Medical Malpractice
- Bad Faith Insurance Defense
Recent Decisions:
- September 24, 2020: Chris Pearcy wins appeal in major products liability case expanding upon newly established law. In a landmark case, Chris won summary judgment and appeal in favor of his client, Pendu Manufacturing, Inc., under the Indiana Products Liability Act (IPLA). After extensive litigation and briefing, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Pendu, finding that the Plaintiff had misused the the Pendu Edger (wood trimmer) in ways unforeseeable to Pendu. Plaintiff appealed the judgment, and the appellate court upheld the trial court's ruling. Plaintiff then sought further appeal (transfer) to the Indiana Supreme Court and Pendu's dismissal was again upheld. This Appellate win was featured in the Indiana Lawyer, and the article can be read by clicking HERE. Hackney v. Pendu Mfg., 146 N.E.3d 1016, 1018 (Ind. Ct. App. 2020)
- April 4, 2017: Chris Pearcy and Ted Blanford win Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse case at the Indiana Supreme Court. Their client, ESG Security, Inc., was working at the Sugarland Concert on August 13, 2011 when a sudden gust of wind caused the stage to collapse onto the audience. ESG was sued with several other Defendants. While other Defendants settled, ESG did not. After 135 depositions, and extensive discovery, Chris and Ted won summary judgment for ESG on September 15, 2015, dismissing ESG from the case. You can read about this in the Indianapolis Star: Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse cases. An appeal followed, and ESG's dismissal was upheld by a unanimous panel of the Appellate Court on December 27, 2016. Plaintiffs then appealed to the Indiana Supreme Court, where transfer was denied on April 4, 2017, and the Appellate Court's Opinion was upheld. Polet v. ESG Sec., Inc., 66 N.E.3d 972 (Ind. Ct. App. Dec. 27, 2016).
Education:
- Indiana University, Maurer School of Law, J.D., Bloomington, IN, 2004
- Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, B.S. in Public Affairs with distinction, Bloomington, IN, 2000
Bar Admissions:
- State of Indiana, 2004
- State of Illinois, 2005
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, 2005
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana, 2007
Presentations and Publications:
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Presenter: "Dram Shop / Liquor Liability....A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar: Social Host Liability and Alcohol Toxicity for the Defense, with Trial Considerations," DTCI Annual Conference, Bloomington, IN, November 19, 2015
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Distinguished Faculty Member/Presenter: “Insurance Coverage Litigation,” National Business Institute (NBI) Legal Education Seminar, Indianapolis, IN, November, 2013
- Indiana Lawyer, "Managing the Mass-Tort Case," June 2013
- Author and founder of the "Legal For Life" law blog
- Presenter: "Seminar on Insurance Ethics," CPCU Society, Central Indiana Chapter, March 2013
- Distinguished Faculty Member/Presenter: “Property Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Claims,” National Business Institute (NBI) Legal Education Seminar, Indianapolis, IN, August 8, 2012
- Indiana Lawyer, “Indiana’s Texting Ban is Flawed and Unenforceable,” June 2011
Legal and Community Involvement:
- Vice-Chairman: DTCI Trial Tactics Committee, 2014-2016
- Member: DTCI Trial Tactics Committee, 2011-2016
- Committee Member: IBA Bar Leader Series, Class XII, Steering Committee, 2014-2016
- Legal Volunteer: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), 2011-2014
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Member: DTCI Trial Tactics Committee, Responsible for publishing monthly Trial Tactics Newsletter, 2011-present - See more at: http://www.humesmith.com/our-people/attorneys/christopher-a-pearcy#sthash.ILjIr7Dh.dpufGraduate: DTCI Trial Academy, 2009
Honors and Awards:
- Volunteer of the Month: Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB), August 2012
- Bar Leader: 2012 Graduate of the Indianapolis Bar Association’s year long “Bar Leader Series” Class IX
Professional Associations:
- Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA)
- Indianapolis Bar Association (IBA)
- Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana (DTCI)
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
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