Heather M. McCollum is a seasoned attorney with a diverse and experienced background in civil defense litigation, insurance coverage disputes and bad faith litigation, premises liability, fraud and arson investigations, mineral liability, construction claims, commercial trucking, professional liability, and personal injury. A knowledgeable litigator, she has represented clients in large loss and complex civil cases in state, federal and appellate courts. In addition, Heather has experience in product liability litigation in the areas of manufacturer design defect and dangerous products litigation.
Heather is recognized by Kentucky Super Lawyers® as a top-rated attorney, selected to “Rising Stars” for 2013-2016 in the area of insurance coverage. She frequently conducts lectures and continuing legal education seminars for the various areas of law in which her practice is focused.
When Heather is not advocating for her clients, she is active in her community, and often participates in hospice-related charities and care for the elderly.
- American Association for Justice
- Defense Research Institute (DRI)
- Fayette County Bar Association
- Kentucky Bar Association
- National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators (NSPII)
- In a recent product liability action wherein a gate fell killing the decedent, Heather successfully represented the installer and manufacturer of the gate. At trial, the plaintiff asked the jury for more than $6,000,000. After deliberating for less than an hour the jury returned with a defense verdict.
- On a claim involving arson – first-party insurance coverage / bad faith, Heather received a defense verdict on behalf of her client. This litigation resulted in a complete victory for the insurance carrier and zero recovery for the homeowner/policyholder. In this case, afire occurred, and in surveying the damaged scene it was established that the cause of the fire was incendiary in origin. Investigation also revealed that the insured made material misrepresentations regarding the contents and failed to protect the property from further damage as required by the policy. Claims being sought by the insured in this incident included over $400,000 in property damages with additional damages in bad faith claims including punitive damages. During the four-day trial, jurors recognized there was no coverage under the policy for this claim.