Lawyers Title Insurance v. Groff

The defendant, David M. Groff, Esq., appeals from a judgment in favor of the plaintiff, Lawyers Title Insurance Corp., on its claims for breach of contract and negligence. Following a bench trial, the Superior Court (Conboy, J.) ruled that the defendant was vicariously liable for a title search conducted by a third party. We reverse.

The relevant undisputed facts follow. In 1991, the parties entered into an agreement which made the defendant the plaintiff’s agent for the purpose of issuing title insurance policies. Under the agreement, the defendant was to “[rjeceive and process applications…