18 W. 9th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
P: 513.579.0080
F: 513.579.0222

Carmen Sarge is a Shareholder at Rolfes Henry Co., L.P.A., and has been with our Firm since 1997. For over two decades, he has assisted and defended numerous major insurance carriers and their insureds in claims and litigation throughout the United States involving property and casualty defense, investigation of insurance fraud, insurance coverage questions, construction, fire and bad faith defense. He is admitted to practice law in Ohio and Kentucky State and Federal Courts.

Carmen is a frequent speaker on topics involving insurance defense and investigation of insurance fraud. He is a member of the National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators, where he served as National President and President of the Ohio Chapter. He serves on the Greater Cincinnati Regional Arson and Fire Investigators Seminar Committee and is an attorney member of IASIU. Carmen was recognized in the areas of insurance coverage in the 2007 and 2021 – 2023 Editions of Ohio and Kentucky Super Lawyers.

Carmen graduated from Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1999. Prior to joining Rolfes Henry Co., L.P.A., Carmen worked as a volunteer law clerk with the Ohio Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section and completed a clerkship with Judge Daniel T. Guidugli at the Kentucky Court of Appeals, Sixth Appellate District.

EDUCATION

Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Juris Doctor, 1999

Awards for Achieving the Highest Grades in Contracts and Professional Responsibility; Nicholas Bauer Scholarship; Student Participant in Inns of Court

Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Bachelor of Science in Economics, Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Studies, 1995

FEDERAL COURTS:

  • Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
  • Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky

STATE COURTS:

  • State of Ohio
  • Commonwealth of Kentucky

Publications

Presentations

  • “IAAI Ohio Chapter Courtroom Testimony Seminar,” (2023), Sharonville Fire Department, Sharonville, Ohio
  • “Legal Updates: Courtroom Preparedness & Creating a CV,” (2022), Greater Cincinnati Regional Arson Fire Investigators Seminar (GCRAFIS), Evendale, Ohio
  • “Legal Trends Discussion,” (2022), International Association of Insurance Professionals (IAIP) Ignite Luncheon, Louisville, Kentucky
  • “The Post Pandemic Fraud Landscape,” (2022), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Ohio Chapter, Fairfield, Ohio
  • “Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Court Systems,” (2022), presented for the Buckeye Actuarial Continuing Education (BACE), Fairfield, Ohio
  • “SIU in the Crosshairs,” (2021), SIU training seminar presented at The Cincinnati Insurance Company, Fairfield, Ohio
  • “Expert Witness Courtroom Testimony Course,” (2019), presented at International Association of Arson Investigators, Inc. (IAAI), Sharonville, Ohio
  • “Legal Panel II – An Interactive Discussion of Emerging Trends and Issues”, (2018), presented at The National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators Advanced Insurance Fraud Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • “SIU in the Crosshairs,” (2018), presented at International Association of Special Investigation Units Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland
  • “Handling the ‘Difficult’ Claimant: Managing Issues of Non-Cooperation, Delay and Confrontational Responses to Inquiry During Claim Investigations,” (2016), presented at International Association of Special Investigation Units Webinar
  • “Legal Panel 1: An Interactive Discussion of Emerging Trends and Issues,” (2016), presented at The National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators Advanced Insurance Fraud Seminar, Bloomington, Illinois
  • “Live Joint Fire Study/Fire Expert Deposition and Lessons Learned Roundtable,” (2016), presented at Donan Engineering Burn and Learn: An Advanced Fire Investigation Experience, Maryville, Tennessee
  • “Handling the ‘Difficult’ Claimant: Managing Issues of Non-Cooperation, Delay and Confrontational Responses to Inquiry During Claim Investigations,” (2015), presented at The National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators 33rd Advanced Insurance Fraud Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky
  • “What is the ‘Other Side’ Thinking? – Proper Communication and Sharing of Information Between Public and Private Sector Investigators During Fire Investigations,” (2015), presented at Greater Cincinnati Regional Arson and Fire Investigators Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • “Legal Update/Discussion Regarding Issues in Property Claims Investigations, Negative Corpus and Law Enforcement,” (2014), presented at Ohio Joint Insurance Fraud Seminar, Columbus, Ohio
  • “The Daubert Disaster: Unintended Consequences Facing Insurers and Experts,” (2013), presented at The National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators (NSPII), Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri
  • “Civil Fraud Trials,” (2010/2011), presented to students at Northern Kentucky University and University of Cincinnati
  • “Concealment, Misrepresentation and Fraud in Property Insurance Claims,” (2010), presented at Ohio Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • “Legal Update Workshop,” (2007), presented at Ohio Auto Theft Investigators Association, Motor Vehicle Theft Seminar, Columbus, Ohio
  • “Claim Investigation,” (2007), presented at Insurer SIU Department, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • “Kentucky Case Law Update,” (2005), presented to Kentucky Mutual & Co-Operative Fire Insurance Association, Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky
  • “Summary of New Developments in Kentucky Insurance Law, Case Law and Legislative Update,” (2005), presented at Northern Kentucky Claims Association, Covington, Kentucky
  • “NSPII Legal Update Panel – A Multi-State View of SIU Legal Issues,” – Including Article: Bad Faith, A Case Study: Simpson v. Permanent General Insurance Company, Ohio Panelist, (2004), presented at NSPII Advanced Insurance Fraud Seminar, Louisville, Kentucky

Significant Appellate Decisions

  • Collins v. Miami Valley Paper Tube Co., 2022 Ky. App. Unpub. LEXIS 402 (July 15, 2022)
  • Yazell v. Foremost Insurance Company, 2003-CA-002155-MR, 2004-CA-000219-MR, unreported.
  • The Cincinnati Insurance Company v. Spencer, Twelfth Appellate District of Ohio, Butler County Case No. CA2004-05-108, unreported.

Significant Jury Verdicts

  • Judgment in excess of $23,000.00 in favor of insurer in Butler County Court of Common Pleas following a jury trial in a case involving an insured’s alleged fraudulent alteration of and submission of false receipts to support a motorcycle theft claim. The Cincinnati Insurance Company v. Spencer, Butler County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, Case No. CV 2002 08 2177.

Community Involvement

  • Economics Advisory Board Member, Northern Kentucky University
    Member of Advisory Board involved in providing the NKU Economics & Finance department faculty with insight from the local business community on various issues, including student development, hiring and accreditation, 2003 – 2010.
  • BLAC-CBA Volunteer
    Attended meeting to give guidance to law students relative to resume development and interviewing in connection with diversity program administered by Cincinnati Bar Association and the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati, 2008.

Memberships

Kentucky Bar Association, 2000 – Present

Greater Cincinnati Regional Arson and Fire Investigators, 2015 – Present

  • Seminar Committee, 2015 – Present
  • By-laws Committee, Co-Chair 2017

National Society of Professional Insurance Investigators, 2000 – Present

  • National President, 2010-2011
  • Ohio Chapter Past President, 2010-2011
  • National First Vice President, 2010
  • Ohio Chapter President, 2010
  • 3-Year Planning Committee, 2008 – 2010
  • National Second Vice President, 2009
  • Ohio Chapter First Vice President, Chapter Delegate, 2009
  • Newsletter Committee, 2007 – 2008

Cincinnati Claims Association

  • Director, 2008 – 2009
  • President, 2007

IASIU Attorney Member, 2016 – Present

Recognitions

  • Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers-Rising Stars List for 2007
  • Named to the Ohio and Kentucky Super Lawyers List for 2021 – 2023

Carmen C. Sarge Super Lawyers Badge