Superstorm Sandy Case Reinstated After Plaintiff’s Counsel Takes Fall for Late Service

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey homeowner who sued his insurer over coverage for Superstorm Sandy damage but never served the defendant within the time required under federal law has been given a second chance to pursue his claims.

In a Dec. 17 decision, Judge William H. Walls of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey granted a motion to reinstate the lawsuit, finding no indication that the plaintiff’s failure to timely serve his complaint on Selective Insurance Co. of America was the result of bad faith.

Plaintiff Bernard Jenkins filed his case in June, seeking …