Nick Nolte can be questioned remotely when Allstate Insurance Co. attorneys depose him regarding his lawsuit involving damage at his Malibu property during the 2018 Woolsey Fire, a judge has ruled.
The 82-year-old actor and his wife, Clytie Lane, brought the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging breach of contract, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On Thursday, Judge Christopher Lui granted Nolte a “protective order” allowing the actor to have a virtual deposition with defense lawyers rather than require him to be there in person.
In their motion, the couple’s attorneys argued the protective order was necessary to protect Nolte from “unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment or oppression” and that granting the request would not be prejudicial to Allstate.
Discussions between the attorneys prior to the filing of the notion were unfruitful, Nolte’s lawyers further contended.
“As such, it seems readily apparent that defendant has ulterior motives to harass Mr. Nolte and inflict unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, oppression or undue burden upon him by requiring an in-person deposition,” the actor’s attorneys maintained in their pleadings.
On Nov. 8, 2018, the couple’s residential property and possessions were “either destroyed and/or substantially damaged” by the Woolsey Fire. One of the residential structures, known as the Rock House, received substantial smoke and heat damage and several other structures were burned to the ground, the suit states.
“In addition, extraordinarily valuable and more importantly, deeply personal, film memorabilia that spanned the entire career of Mr. Nolte was destroyed,” according to the suit filed in October 2020.
The fire caused $3 million in damage to the structure and contents of the house, but the home was not destroyed, firefighters said at the time.
After the fire, Allstate “unreasonably delayed the handling, adjustment and resolution of the claim, and have taken unreasonable coverage and claim positions,” the suit alleges.
In its handling of the couple’s claim, Allstate, “wrongfully put its interests ahead of” those of Nolte and Lane, the suits states.
The plaintiffs provided Allstate copes of the couple’s consultants’ reports and findings that the insurer disregarded and ignored, the suit alleges. Nolte and Lane also allege that Allstate misled them into the false belief that the insurer wanted to reach a settlement when the company’s actual intent was to dissuade them from suing.
In their court papers, Allstate attorneys deny any liability on the part of the insurer. The lawyers maintain that Nolte and his wife were negligent and that they “misrepresented, failed to disclose or concealed” information to the company.
The Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties burned nearly 100,000 acres. It killed three people, destroyed more than 1,640 structures and forced the evacuation of around 300,000 people. Trial of Nolte’s suit is scheduled for Aug. 5.