Barbara A. Jones

Cantrell-Vcard

Position:

 Partner

Main Phone:

 317.352.3500

Direct Phone:

 317.352.3505

Main Fax:

 317.352.3501

Email:

 bjones@csmlawfirm.com

Hometown:

 Greenwood, IN

Barb Jones concentrates her practice in all aspects of insurance law, particularly insurance coverage for environmental claims, construction defects, advertising injury and other complex insurance coverage issues, and defense of insurers in bad faith litigation. Barb also defends policyholders in third-party litigation, including but not limited to construction defects, mold and toxic tort litigation. Barb served as a member of the National Coordinating Counsel for Environmental claims for a major property and casualty insurer. She was later employed as a Home Office Supervisor for environmental claims for American States Insurance Company and as an Environmental Claims Specialist for Safeco Property & Casualty Insurance Companies where she was responsible for the management, evaluation, and resolution of environmental, toxic exposure, products liability claims, and litigation across the United States.

Barb is married to Doug Jones, a retired engineer and has children, Laura Jones and Patrick and Allison Jones and grandchildren, Sophia and Silas. Besides traveling to visit her family in Washington, D.C., and Santa Monica, she enjoys gardening and sailing.

Legal Organizations:

American Bar Association
Indiana State Bar Association
Indianapolis Bar Association
Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana
Defense Research Institute
National Forum for Environmental and Toxic Tort Issues

Board Memberships:

Ashwood Condominium Homeowner´s Association

Seminars:

Mutual Insurance Companies Association of Indiana Annual Meeting, ´The Status of the Pollution Exclusion in Indiana – Eleven Years After Kiger,´ 2007
Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana Annual Conference, ´What an Insurance Claim Representative Wants from Coverage Counsel,´ 2004
Indiana Insurance Institute Defense Seminar, ´Industry Update: Case Law Update,´ 2004
Indianapolis Bar Association, ´Insurance Coverage Issues in Mold Claims,´ 2003

Publications:

"50-State Compendium of Bad Faith Law," contributor to Indiana section, DRI, April 2004, updated 2006
"Absolute Pollution: Exclusion Update," Environmental Claims Journal, Vol. 15, No. 1, Winter 2003; Martha Hollingsworth and Dennis Cantrell, co-authors

Significant Cases

National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Standard Fusee Corp., 917 N.E.2d 170 (Ind. Ct. App. 2009) (transfer petition to Indiana Supreme Court pending) – representing umbrella insurer in environmental coverage case involving issues on choice of law and application of the pollution exclusion.
Dreaded, Inc. v. St. Paul Guardian Ins. Co. (Indiana Supreme Court, 2009) – Amicus on behalf of Indiana Insurance Institute
State Auto Mut. Ins. Co. v. Reed, et al. (Southern District of Indiana and Marion County, Indiana) – representation of insurer in declaratory judgment actions involving coverage for dry cleaning chemical contamination of soil and groundwater and allegations of bodily injuries.
State Auto Mut. Ins. Co. v. Gary Sanitary District (Lake County, Indiana) – representation of insurer in declaratory judgment action involving insurance coverage for environmental remediation costs (PCB contamination).
Celina Mut. Ins. Co. v. Bedrock Builders (Southern District of Indiana) – representation of insurer in declaratory judgment action for determination of “advertising injury” coverage for alleged use of another builder’s plans.
Property Owners Ins. Co. v. Ancil Smith Builders, et al. (Grant County, Indiana) – representation of insurer in coverage declaratory judgment action involving construction defects, water damage and allegations of mold and bodily injury.
Vyzral v. Blakely, Sweet et al., (Hamilton County, Indiana) – defense of contractor in a lawsuit alleging construction defects, water damage, mold and bodily injury.
Belinda Dorsch v. Carriage Gate HOA (Ohio) – defense of HOA in a lawsuit alleging personal injuries from exposure to mold.
Kunkel et al. v. Duke Realty (Marion County, Indiana) – defense of property owner and management company in lawsuits alleging personal injuries from exposure to mold and other toxic substances.
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Red Gold, Inc. (Madison County, Indiana) – defense of property owner in wrongful death case and demand for indemnity by railroad.

Former Employment:

Bingham McHale LLP, 2002-2009
Safeco Property & Casualty Companies, 1999-2002
American States Insurance Company, 1994-1999
Bingham Summers Welsh & Spilman, 1992-1994
Law Clerk, Indiana Court of Appeals, The Honorable Stanley B. Miller, 1990-1992

Barbara A. Jones

Practice Areas:

Education:

Indiana University – Bloomington B.A. Sociology, 1968

Law School:

Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis cum laude, 1990

Bar Admissions:

Indiana
United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana
United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana