General Liability

  • February 14, 2025

    Calif. Insurance Chief Backs Wildfire Mitigation, Recovery Bills

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced his support Friday for a slew of bills aimed at addressing wildfire mitigation and recovery, including measures to maximize insurance claim payouts and stabilize the state's insurer of last resort.

  • February 14, 2025

    Insurer Goes After Another In $3.5M Sewer Damage Suit

    A subcontractor's insurer lodged a third-party complaint against a Liberty Mutual unit in Colorado federal court, accusing it of reaching a "collusive" $730,000 consent agreement in an underlying sewer rupture dispute and arguing that the unit should've paid its full $2 million limit instead.

  • February 14, 2025

    Nonprofit Not Covered For Palestine Protest Suit, Insurer Says

    An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify a social justice organization against a proposed class action concerning a Chicago protest in support of Palestine, telling a New York federal court the allegations against the Westchester County foundation don't fall within its policies' scopes of coverage.

  • February 13, 2025

    Blake Lively Defamation Suits Bring Insurance Center Stage

    A stream of defamation lawsuits stemming from the movie "It Ends With Us" could have insurers gearing up to determine potential coverage obligations for such litigation, as the debate over settling versus going to trial marks a gap in the insurer-insured relationship for celebrity policyholders, experts say.

  • February 13, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A California appeals court used a high court pandemic insurance ruling to uphold a denial of fire debris coverage, the state's insurer of last resort will receive $1 billion in additional funding and the South Carolina Supreme Court considered receivership orders over foreign companies' insurance assets. Here, Law360 takes a look at this week's top insurance news.

  • February 13, 2025

    Insurers Say Adjuster Must Cover $66M Suit Over Boat Death

    Insurers told a North Carolina federal court that a company they contracted with failed to perform its agreed-upon adjustment duties on claims related to a 2021 fatal Florida boat accident and didn't pay legal fees when a more than $66 million suit erupted over the incident.

  • February 12, 2025

    Insurer Needn't Pay For Leaky Window Arbitration Award

    An insurer doesn't need to pay for an arbitration award entered against its policyholder and in favor of a Kansas county board of commissioners in a defective window installation dispute, a federal court ruled, saying the commercial general liability policy at issue doesn't cover the policyholder's breach of contract.

  • February 11, 2025

    Calif.'s Insurance Safety Net Gets $1B Infusion For Fire Claims

    California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has signed off on $1 billion in additional funding for California's FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, to ensure the plan can keep paying consumer claims to survivors of the Southern California wildfires, according to an order issued Tuesday.

  • February 11, 2025

    SC Justices Question Receivership Orders In Asbestos Row

    The South Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared to agree with a trial court's imposition of sanctions against two Canadian companies found to disobey discovery orders in asbestos injury lawsuits, but questioned whether the judge's corresponding appointment of a receiver over their insurance assets was premature.

  • February 11, 2025

    Insurer Says $641M Deal Over Tainted Flint Water Not Covered

    An insurer told a Michigan federal court Tuesday that it shouldn't have to pay any part of a $641 million settlement reached by a Flint, Michigan, medical center on behalf of patients who supposedly suffered from legionella and lead exposure because of unclean drinking water in the facility.

  • February 11, 2025

    Insurer May Need To Pay Landlord Row Atty Fees, Panel Says

    A California state appeals court found in a partial reversal that an insurer may not be owed more than $300,000 in disputed attorney fees following a $925,000 settlement it contributed to on behalf of a landlord it insured over a tenant dispute.

  • February 10, 2025

    Calif. Ruling Holds Wildfire Debris Not A Coverable Loss

    Two California homeowners didn't have a covered claim for wildfire debris that infiltrated their home, a state appeals panel ruled, saying there was no evidence the debris caused the kind of loss or damage required for coverage.

  • February 10, 2025

    Co. Not Covered For Background Check Suit, Insurer Says

    An insurer told an Illinois federal court on Monday that a company isn't covered for an underlying lawsuit alleging that it mishandled a job applicant's background check, citing multiple policy exclusions.

  • February 10, 2025

    Trenton Diocese Sues Insurers Over Abuse Suit Coverage

    The Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey, accused Chubb, Hartford, Travelers and AIG units of violating the state's Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Act over an "onslaught" of child sex abuse lawsuits, telling a New Jersey federal court the parties have made "minimal progress" toward a cost-sharing agreement over defense expenses.

  • February 10, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage Owed For Toxic Hair Product Suit

    The makers of a hair straightening treatment do not have coverage for a lawsuit alleging the product is carcinogenic because the claims against them came after the treatment was known to be hazardous, and after the policy had ended, an insurer told a California federal court.

  • February 07, 2025

    5th Circ. Upholds High School's Win In Gym Fire Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Thursday upheld a Louisiana high school's win in its suit claiming that a flooring company caused a gym fire, holding that the high school has a right of action for property damage to the gymnasium.

  • February 07, 2025

    Excess Insurer Says $50M Bad Wine Claims Not Covered

    An excess insurer told a Washington federal court that it should not have to contribute to a settlement after an underlying lawsuit asserted more than $50 million in claims against a vineyard for allegedly damaging over 300,000 cases of wine, because there was no coverage.

  • February 07, 2025

    Insurers Say Meta MDL Row Should Be In Del. State Court

    Coverage litigation with Meta over underlying claims that it deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to adolescents ought to take place in Delaware state court, units of Chubb and Hartford told a Delaware federal court, arguing the court need only examine the fact that Meta is a Delaware citizen.

  • February 07, 2025

    Plaintiffs Lawyers Swarm Los Angeles Post-Fires

    A deadly wildfire may be among the first covered by a new state fund that reimburses at-fault utility companies. This could mean billions of dollars for plaintiffs lawyers, and, if past fires are any indication, frustration and confusion for some victims.

  • February 06, 2025

    Pillsbury Adds Insurance Partner From Morgan Lewis

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP has announced the addition of an insurance recovery expert from Morgan Lewis as a partner in its Washington, D.C., office to advise and represent insurance policyholders.

  • February 06, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Delaware Supreme Court agreed that a jury's fraud verdict against an ex-Xerox unit was improper and also limited a pharmaceutical company's recovery for a securities suit, while the Sixth Circuit refused to review Home Depot's data breach coverage loss. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • February 06, 2025

    Insurance Expert Tackles Super Bowl Coverage Risks

    The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles earned their way to the Super Bowl only last week, but the NFL, host city New Orleans, the stadium and others have spent years planning and securing the necessary insurance coverage to ensure the biggest sporting event of the year is properly protected. Here, insurance industry veteran Lori Shaw spoke with Law360 about insuring one of the world's most-watched sporting events.

  • February 05, 2025

    6th Circ. Won't Revisit Home Depot Data Breach Coverage Suit

    The Sixth Circuit refused Wednesday to review its January finding that an electronic data exclusion in Home Depot's commercial general liability policies barred coverage for the retail giant's $50 million claim for defense and settlement costs over a 2014 data breach.

  • February 05, 2025

    Calif. Panel Revives Malpractice Suit Against Insurer Attys

    A California state appeals court revived an Allstate policyholder's legal malpractice suit against his insurer-appointed attorney, saying the policyholder sufficiently alleged the attorney's drafting of an underlying settlement in a wrongful death suit caused him damages.

  • February 04, 2025

    Meta Attacks Insurers' Bid To Remand Social Media MDL Row

    Meta asked a Delaware federal court to postpone ruling on its insurers' request to remand a dispute over coverage for thousands of suits alleging harm from the company's social media platforms, saying the action will likely soon be transferred to multidistrict litigation in California alongside the underlying claims.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Argument Techniques For Policyholder Advocates

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    Winning insurance coverage disputes often comes down to who has articulated the more compelling interpretation of the relevant policy language, which is why the best policyholder advocates come back to certain tried and true argument approaches, says Greg Van Houten at Haynes Boone.

  • Improving Comms Between Trial Attys And Tech Witnesses

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    In major litigation involving complex technology, attorneys should employ certain strategies to collaborate with companies' technical personnel more effectively to enhance both the attorney's understanding of the subject matter and the expert's ability to provide effective testimony in court, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Confirms Insurer Standing Requirements

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    A New York bankruptcy court's recent decision in the Syracuse Diocese's Chapter 11 case indicates that insurers have misread the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum and that federal standing requirements remain unaltered, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • A View Of The Shifting Insurance Regulatory Landscape

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    Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland explore how the Federal Insurance Office's climate report, the new presidential administration and the California wildfires might affect the insurance regulatory landscape.

  • Courts Should Nix Conferencing Rule In 1 Discovery Scenario

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    Parties are generally required to meet and confer to resolve a discovery dispute before bringing a related motion, but courts should dispense with this conferencing requirement when a party fails to specify a time by which it will complete its production, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law.

  • Top Considerations For Insurance Companies In 2025

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    As insurance industry participants look to plan for the year, regulatory changes, climate-related challenges, the ongoing effects of social inflation and the potential for significant mergers and acquisitions will be among the key items for insurer boards and management to have on their radar, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Public View Of CEO's Killing Means For Corporate Trials

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    Given the proliferation of anti-corporate sentiments following recent charges against Luigi Mangione in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, attorneys who represent corporate clients and executives will need to adapt their trial strategy to account for juror anger, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation Consulting.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

  • Insurance Considerations For LA Wildfire Recovery

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    Businesses and homeowners affected by the destructive Southern California wildfires must act swiftly and strategically to navigate the complexities of the insurance recovery process, including by identifying all applicable policies, documenting damage thoroughly and keeping abreast of relevant state law, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Artfully Conceding Liability Can Offer Defendants 3 Benefits

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    In the rare case that a company makes the strategic decision to admit liability, it’s important to do so clearly and consistently in order to benefit from the various forms of armor that come from an honest acknowledgment, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • What Insurers Should Know About AI Use In Litigation

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in litigation evolves, insurers should note standing court orders, instances of judges utilizing AI to determine policy definitions and the application of evidentiary standards to expert evidence that incorporates AI, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.