Property

  • February 26, 2024

    Texas Justices Say $220M Cobalt Deal Is A Loss Under Policy

    A $220 million settlement that now-bankrupt Cobalt International Energy Inc. reached with a group of investors constitutes a loss under the energy company's insurance policies, but the agreement is not binding on Cobalt's insurers to establish coverage, the Texas Supreme Court ruled.

  • February 26, 2024

    State Farm Seeks Exit From Aircraft Designer's Explosion Row

    An aircraft design company is not owed coverage for five underlying lawsuits surrounding an explosion at an aeronautical test site that killed one employee, State Farm has told a California federal court, arguing that the underlying actions triggered multiple policy exclusions.

  • February 23, 2024

    La. Hotel Owner Must Arbitrate Hurricane Ida Damage Claims

    A Louisiana federal judge has ordered the owner of an extended-stay hotel near New Orleans to go to arbitration with a group of insurers over coverage for damage caused by Hurricane Ida, finding that the policy under dispute contains a valid arbitral clause.

  • February 23, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    From maritime contracts’ choice-of-law provisions to a question on how far an agency can steer companies from contracting with controversial groups, the past week saw two insurance-related cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, plus litigation over a mass shooting and a casino operator’s claims that its “unique” policy covers pandemic losses. Here, Law360 recaps the week's top insurance news. 

  • February 23, 2024

    The New BIPA? Attys Warn GIPA Is A 'Live Grenade'

    After notable appellate victories in biometric privacy cases, Illinois plaintiffs have seized upon a previously little-used law protecting workers' genetic privacy, leaving defense attorneys wondering if history will repeat itself and open companies to potentially explosive liability. 

  • February 23, 2024

    Travelers Can't Duck Payout In Warehouse Fire Reversal

    A New York federal court has rejected Travelers' bid for additional discovery in a coverage dispute involving a textile importer whose goods were destroyed in a warehouse fire, after the Second Circuit vacated the insurer's early win in December and remanded for a judgment in the importer's favor.

  • February 26, 2024

    New York Pandemic Coverage Ruling Offers Few Surprises

    Businesses seeking insurance coverage for their pandemic losses were dealt yet another loss recently by New York's top court, a ruling that didn't surprise attorneys watching to see whether the Empire State might buck the trend of carrier victories.

  • February 23, 2024

    Insurance M&A Partner From Sidley Joins Kirkland

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has added a corporate partner in its insurance transactions and regulatory and financial institutions practice groups, bringing on a former Sidley Austin LLP attorney who said he "couldn't be more excited" to join the firm's Chicago office.

  • February 23, 2024

    Judge Reverses Self, Says Hurricane Ad Suit Should Continue

    Reversing her earlier decision, a federal magistrate judge has issued a preliminary ruling in favor of a woman who alleges that troubled Houston law firm McClenny Moseley & Associates PLLC and associated companies bombarded Louisiana hurricane victims with illegal marketing.

  • February 23, 2024

    Trade Group Tells NC Justices COVID-19 Losses Not Covered

    A dozen North Carolina eateries are not owed coverage for pandemic-related losses, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association told the state's highest court, saying the policies at issue were never intended to cover economic damages "untethered" to physical loss or damage.

  • February 26, 2024

    Justices' Maritime Insurance Ruling Retains Tilted Status Quo

    When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that an insurer can enforce choice-of-law provisions in a marine insurance policy it issued to the owner of a yacht that ran aground, it upheld existing practices that give insurers the upper hand over policyholders.

  • February 22, 2024

    ATV Accident Coverage Win Remanded Over Kid's Residency

    A Missouri appeals court remanded a lower court's decision over whether a father's farm insurance covered the $1 million in damages inflicted on his daughter after an ATV accident, saying that the central question of whether the child resided at her father's home or at his ex-wife's was still unresolved.

  • February 21, 2024

    Nationwide Says Walmart Should Pay NY Humidifier Fire Costs

    Walmart should pay for a $165,000 blaze ignited by a humidifier it sold to a Long Island, New York, woman, Nationwide told a New York federal court Wednesday.

  • February 21, 2024

    Uber Says Insurers Failed To Cover Dozens Of Injury Suits

    Uber's insurers failed to live up to their obligations to defend the company and its for-hire drivers in dozens of personal injury lawsuits, the ride-hailing giant claims in two suits filed in New York federal court, saying that the companies' conduct had a negative impact on thousands of New York City drivers.

  • February 21, 2024

    No Property Coverage For Maui Wildfire, Insurer Says

    A condominium association and its property manager have no coverage for property damage claims stemming from the 2023 Maui wildfires, their insurer told a Hawaii federal court, arguing that a property damage exclusion in their errors and omissions policy wholly bars coverage.

  • February 20, 2024

    Casinos Say 'Unique' Policy Should Cover $130M COVID Loss

    A casino operator with properties on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond told a Nevada federal court that its "unique" all-risk insurance is the broadest available coverage and should pay for $130 million in business interruption losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • February 20, 2024

    Eateries' Virus Losses Not Covered, Insurer Tells NC Justices

    Cincinnati Insurance Co. urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to affirm its win in a dispute with more than a dozen eateries over coverage for pandemic-related losses, saying government shutdown orders do not constitute direct physical loss or damage required to trigger coverage.

  • February 20, 2024

    Insurers Say Pollution Exclusion Bars Cancer Suits Defense

    An oil company accused of causing four people to develop cancer through exposure to harmful chemicals should not have coverage for its defense of the claims, according to four Nationwide units that told an Illinois federal court the company has no pollution coverage.

  • February 16, 2024

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Car Dealer's Hurricane Coverage Suit

    The Fourth Circuit declined to revive a South Carolina car dealership's lawsuit seeking coverage from an AIG unit for losses the business sustained from Hurricane Dorian in 2019, agreeing with a district court that there was no link between a government evacuation order and physical damage that would warrant civil authority coverage.

  • February 16, 2024

    Condo Co., Insurer Settle Proposed Class Action Coverage

    A Miami condominium, its former management company and various insurers agreed to settle coverage for a proposed class action accusing the condominium companies of allowing the building to deteriorate, a Florida federal judge said Friday, staying the coverage litigation while the parties finalize the deal.

  • February 16, 2024

    Barge Co., Insurer End Pollution Cleanup Coverage Fight

    A Washington barge company and its insurer reached an agreement in a dispute over coverage of legal expenses stemming from claims that the company was liable for environmental pollution at an EPA cleanup site, according to a notice filed in Washington federal court.

  • February 15, 2024

    No Coverage For Pandemic Losses, NY Top Court Rules

    A Texas-based restaurant operator isn't entitled to insurance coverage for its pandemic losses, New York's top court ruled Thursday, saying the operator didn't allege the kind of physical loss or damage required for coverage.

  • February 15, 2024

    Second Carrier Seeks To Toss Four Seasons Coverage Row

    A subcontractor's insurer joined another carrier in urging a New York federal court to dismiss a general contractor's lawsuit seeking coverage in a $1 million underlying action over damage to a Four Seasons hotel in midtown Manhattan, arguing that the faulty workmanship claims don't constitute an occurrence under its policy.

  • February 15, 2024

    Zurich Owes $554K Over Faulty Construction Work, Erie Says

    Erie Insurance Co. told a D.C. federal court Thursday that a Zurich unit wrongly denied coverage to Erie-insured subcontractors for over $554,000 in damage stemming from faulty work at a government agency renovation project, arguing Zurich has cited the wrong coverage form to deny liability.

  • February 15, 2024

    9th Circ. Backs Homeowners' Cert. In Allstate Overcharge Suit

    Allstate will have to face a class action accusing it of artificially inflating home insurance premiums for thousands of California properties by double-counting built-in garage space, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled, affirming a lower court's decision.

Expert Analysis

  • Questions Remain On Computer Fraud Coverage For Phishing

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    There are questions regarding the applicability of computer fraud coverage to phishing scheme losses in the wake of the Ninth Circuit's decision in Ernst & Haas v. Hiscox earlier this year, with a backdrop of differing case results and evolving fact patterns over the past few years, say Robert Callahan and Melissa D’Alelio at Robins Kaplan.

  • Storm Insurance Considerations For Cos. New To Florida

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    As more and more businesses migrate to Florida, commercial property owners and tenants should carefully consider specific contract terms in order to avoid insurance issues and litigation in the event of storm damage, say Philippe Lieberman and Marko Cerenko at Kluger Kaplan.

  • Business Insurance Considerations Amid Conflict In Ukraine

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    As the conflict in Ukraine continues to wreak havoc on global business operations and supply chains, companies should carefully assess all the various types of insurance coverage that may mitigate corporate losses, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recent State Rulings Buck Trend In COVID Insurance Disputes

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    For the last two years, policyholders have been mostly unsuccessful in arguing that commercial property policies should cover losses suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a trio of recent state court decisions suggests that the pendulum may swing in policyholders' favor, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • NY Waterborne Property Ruling Is A Warning To Policyholders

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    A New York state court's recent decision in Mill Basin v. Markel, adopting an expansive interpretation of a waterborne exclusion, is a reminder to policyholders that courts may rule against them even when case law and insurance principles are seemingly in their favor, say Catherine Doyle and Caroline Meneau at Jenner & Block.

  • 2 Reasons Why Ill. Virus Coverage Ruling Is Significant

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    An Illinois federal court's recent decision in Dental Experts v. Massachusetts Bay Insurance is especially useful due to the scarcity of relevant pandemic-related business interruption case law involving first-party policies, and because it clarifies how the cause test should be applied in similar cases, say Christopher Kuleba and Adrienne Kitchen at Reed Smith.

  • Tracking Class Certification Changes, 1 Year After TransUnion

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court's TransUnion v. Ramirez decision, defense lawyers have invoked it as support for denying class certification or decertifying classes — but an analysis suggests that the main impact of the ruling has simply been closer scrutiny of class definitions by district courts, say James Morsch and Jonathan Singer at Saul Ewing.

  • What's At Stake In Fla. Insurance Appraisal Case

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    The Florida Supreme Court's decision in Weston Property & Casualty Insurance v. Riverside Club Condominium Association, determining whether trial courts should have discretion to sequence appraisal and fraud in insurance disputes, will influence how claims are handled on a national basis, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Hurricane Insurance Prep Is Key For Fla. Condos And HOAs

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    As this year's hurricane season gets underway, Florida associations for homeowners, condos and communities should review their insurance policies and protocols in advance of potential inclement weather, says Kelly Corcoran at Ball Janik.

  • Property Insurance Coverage Can Hinge On 'Riot' Or 'Protest'

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    As protests erupt across the U.S. in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Alycen Moss and Elliot Kerzner at Cozen O'Connor examine important property insurance questions that depend on whether a gathering of people is classified as a protest or a riot.

  • Lessons From Calif. Liability Claim Recoupment Ruling

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    A recent California federal court decision in Evanston Insurance v. Winstar Properties illustrates the perils of insurer recoupment and underscores the importance of assessing recoupment rights, if any, throughout the claims process, say Geoffrey Fehling and Veronica Adams at Hunton.

  • Recent Decisions Are Eroding All-Risk Insurance Coverage

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    All-risk insurance coverage is under siege by insurers' broad interpretations of established exclusions, and recent decisions in New Jersey and New Hampshire have shown that courts may not protect coverage despite the policies' text and intent, says Nicholas Insua at Reed Smith.

  • Exploring Calif. Wildfire Insurance's Legislative Landscape

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    As California wildfire season approaches, elected officials and insurance companies continue to face the task of finding long-term solutions, including an increasingly important role for mitigation efforts by individual homeowners and business owners in order to protect their property, say Jan Larson and Jenna Conwisar at Jenner & Block.

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