General Liability
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May 02, 2024
Farmers Face Uphill Fight In 5th Circ. Silo Coverage Row
A Texas farming cooperative faces an uphill battle in persuading the Fifth Circuit to undo a ruling that denied it coverage for a $1.3 million arbitration award for construction defects in their grain silos, experts told Law360.
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May 02, 2024
Insurers Are Covering Litigation Funders. Will It Catch On?
Insurers have started to cover losses from a third-party litigation funder's portfolio of plaintiff-side investments, experts tell Law360, calling into question the insurance industry's broader position that third-party litigation finance hikes carriers' litigation costs, thus requiring them to raise premiums for consumers.
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May 02, 2024
Coral Bleaching Highlights Value Of Reef Insurance
An ongoing bleaching event expected to weaken coral reefs worldwide should emphasize the importance of novel insurance products in helping to restore critical marine life following major storms, climate and insurance experts say.
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May 02, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
A treasure hunter got no coverage for his thwarted quest, LexisNexis was sued again for spying on drivers, a fatal drag race had its win reversed, a Chicago general contractor split the Seventh Circuit, and the Fifth Circuit wondered if a healthcare company's mistake was a claim. Here, Law360 takes a look at this week's top insurance news.
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May 02, 2024
Atty In $119M Bad Faith Win Seeks Justice In And Out Of Court
Policyholder attorney Benjamin W. Massarsky of Miller Friel is part of a team that won over $119 million from insurers in a case thought to have garnered among the largest bad faith wins in the past 30 years. He also works pro bono to fight for accommodations for students with disabilities. Here, he shares where his passions for justice converge.
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May 02, 2024
2nd Circ. To Weigh Court's Role In Bermuda Arbitration Row
The Second Circuit will review Wednesday whether a New York federal court has the authority to remove an allegedly biased arbitrator in a Bermuda reinsurance arbitration, addressing the question of the federal court's limited role in international arbitration. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of oral arguments.
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May 02, 2024
Insurance Industry Still Navigating Risks Created By Dobbs
The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade has prompted new insurance policy offerings for healthcare providers and legislation to protect medical malpractice coverage in some states, with additional risks beyond the initial threat of litigation on the horizon, experts say.
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May 02, 2024
Sills Cummis Adds Pillsbury Atty As Insurance Group Leader
Sills Cummis & Gross PC has added an experienced insurance attorney from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as a leader of two of its insurance groups.
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April 30, 2024
No Coverage For Foundation's Counsel In IP Row, Judge Says
A Kansas federal court tossed two counterclaims a Kansas State University-affiliated philanthropy lodged against its insurer over coverage for a man's claims that it stole his economic development ideas for the university, finding the insurer has no duty to pay for the philanthropy's own choice of counsel.
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April 29, 2024
5th Circ. Ponders If There Were Claims In 'Patient Mistake' Suit
If an insurer says there's no claim, might a claim still have been made, a skeptical Fifth Circuit panel pondered at oral arguments Monday, considering whether a healthcare company's settlement paid for mistakenly approving out-of-state treatment of a Florida Medicaid patient was covered by insurance.
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April 29, 2024
Split 7th Circ. Clears Insurers In O'Hare Steel Defect Fight
A split Seventh Circuit affirmed Monday a finding that the Chicago O'Hare International Airport canopy's general contractor can't recoup more than $37.5 million in costs from its insurer over cracked welds in the canopy, finding that the defects in the welds and columns don't constitute property damage under its insurance policies.
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April 29, 2024
NC Justices Urged To Rethink Policy 'Stacking' Limits
A policyholder is urging the North Carolina Supreme Court to walk back a decision that he says will negate insurance coverage when drivers at fault for wrecks are underinsured, arguing the holding conflicts with precedent.
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April 26, 2024
5th Circ. Reverses Coverage For Fatal Race Accident Suit
An insurer doesn't have to defend the organizers of an amateur drag racing event against underlying negligence claims stemming from a fatal car crash, the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday, reversing a lower court's decision and determining that a commercial general liability policy was not ambiguous.
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April 26, 2024
Insurers Say BASF Can't Seek Same PFAS Coverage In 3 Suits
BASF Corp.'s insurers have said a South Carolina federal court lacked jurisdiction and should toss the chemical manufacturer's case in favor of similar New Jersey state litigation seeking coverage for thousands of underlying allegations that a substance made for firefighting foam caused pollution and injury.
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April 26, 2024
The Week In Trump: Tabloid Testimony, High Court Drama
Donald Trump and his attorneys have been fighting high-stakes legal battles on several fronts as they grappled with a criminal hush money trial in Manhattan, argued at the U.S. Supreme Court for presidential immunity and tried to quash criminal election interference-related charges in Georgia.
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April 25, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
A New York state panel partially revived Chubb's coverage dispute with an archdiocese over underlying sexual abuse claims, Ralph Lauren got the green light to pursue its appeal for coverage of damages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and former President Donald Trump solidified a $175 million bond.
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April 25, 2024
Driving Data Suits Highlight Auto Privacy, Insurance Risks
A spate of suits charging General Motors with harvesting driver data without permission and sharing it with data broker LexisNexis Risk Solutions highlights policyholder privacy risks and erosion of trust over extensive auto data collection, experts told Law360.
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April 25, 2024
5th Circ. May Ponder If Threats Are Claims In Healthcare Suit
The Fifth Circuit will review Monday if a healthcare company is covered for a more than $200,000 settlement over mistakenly approving out-of-state treatment for a Florida Medicaid patient, with the case potentially hinging on whether a letter threatening litigation against another party constitutes a claim. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of oral arguments.
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April 25, 2024
Fla. High Court Says PIP Law Doesn't Mandate 100% Payment
The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Allstate Insurance Co. is not required to pay 100% of a chiropractic provider's charges under a personal injury protection policy, saying to enact such a requirement would misread both Florida's PIP law and Allstate's policy.
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April 25, 2024
New PFAS Rules Portend More Insurance, Superfund Suits
New rules from the Environmental Protection Agency designating as hazardous so-called forever chemicals, and limiting those toxic chemicals in water supplies, are likely to contribute to a wave of insurance litigation over liabilities, while potentially posing new coverage implications for companies involved in Superfund sites.
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April 25, 2024
Emotional Damages Not Covered In OD Suit, Pa. Justices Rule
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has reversed a lower court's ruling that a Nationwide unit had a duty to defend two homeowners in a suit over a man's fatal overdose under their roof, holding Thursday that underlying emotional distress damages don't fall within the policy's definition of bodily injury.
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April 25, 2024
Insurance Backs Up College Athletes About To Turn Pro
As the NFL draft begins, experts tell Law360 how changing circumstances make it ever more important for athletes transitioning from the college to professional level to secure insurance coverage, should an injury derail a pro career.
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April 24, 2024
Insurer Wants Other Carrier's Third-Party Coverage Suit Axed
An insurer asked a Colorado federal court to toss Acuity's third-party suit alleging breach of contract in a coverage dispute over a construction defect arbitration proceeding, saying the claim failed because there is no privity of contract between the two carriers.
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April 24, 2024
Insurer Can't Raise Neglect Row To High Court, Patient Says
An Arizona patient who won $1.5 million on negligence claims against a skilled nursing facility urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a petition from the facility's insurer seeking to arbitrate the patient's garnishment action, arguing the Ninth Circuit already decided the issue.
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April 23, 2024
NY Panel Partially Revives Chubb, Archdiocese Abuse Row
A New York state appeals court partially revived Chubb's coverage dispute stemming from sexual abuse claims brought against the Archdiocese of New York, finding Tuesday that a trial court incorrectly based its dismissal on underlying allegations rather than the present action.
Expert Analysis
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More Stringent Calif. Claim Law Could Benefit Policyholders
Although a new California statute that imposes additional requirements for policyholder presuit demands — effective Jan. 1 — was ostensibly passed as a bad faith liability shield for insurers, used correctly it may provide a more specific road map for plaintiff recovery, says Shanti Eagle at Farella Braun.
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Yahoo TCPA Coverage Case Protects 'Sophisticated Insureds'
The California Supreme Court's recent decision in Yahoo v. National Union, finding coverage for Telephone Consumer Protection Act claims despite Yahoo's status as a so-called sophisticated insured, highlights why policyholder-friendly rules of construction are not just logical, but necessary, say David Kroeger and Steven Tinetti at Jenner & Block.
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NY Panel's COVID Nursing Home Case Order Spurs Questions
The New York Litigation Coordinating Panel's recent final order to coordinate the resolution of COVID-19 nursing home cases leaves critical parameters for the cases coming under the order undefined, such as time frame and injury, say Christopher Potenza and Elizabeth Adymy at Hurwitz Fine.
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Check This List Twice: 4 Steps To Abate Coverage Concerns
This holiday season give your company the gift of following easy administrative steps to avoid the far-too-common clerical errors that could lead to forfeited insurance coverage, say Vivek Chopra and Mattison Kim at Perkins Coie.
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Lessons On Notice From 7th Circ. Claims-Made Policy Ruling
The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Hanover Insurance v. R.W. Dunteman contains broad lessons for policyholders — as many claims-made policies include similar aggregation and claims notice provisions as the one at issue — on how to preserve coverage, say Brian Scarbrough and Maura Smyles at Jenner & Block.
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Trends And Opportunities In Canada's Insurance M&A Market
Laurie LaPalme and Derek Levinsky at Dentons discuss the results of a survey regarding Canada's insurance mergers and acquisitions market, and their expectations for the next year in this space — including an increased focus on accident and sickness insurance, and technology-focused assets.
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Breach Cases Hint At Liability Coverage For Mobile Losses
Although federal courts haven't ruled on whether commercial general liability insurance covers companies' revenue losses when customers cannot use their mobile devices, recent cases involving Target and Home Depot payment card data breaches suggest that coverage may be available, says Morgan Churma at Farella Braun.
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Coverage Ruling Confirms Policy Ambiguities Favor Insureds
A recent Georgia federal court decision, Penn-America Insurance v. VE Shadowood, finding for the insured on a policy containing conflicting endorsements, underscores that coverage cannot be defeated by contradictory terms when policies include coverage extensions, say Shaun Crosner and Tae Andrews at Pasich.
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Capturing Insurance Coverage For Climate Change Suits
As municipalities increasingly file suits seeking damages from oil companies in connection with climate change, the companies should consider filing actions to forestall insurer denials of commercial general liability coverage based on theories of novelty or inapplicable pollution exclusions, say attorneys at Haynes and Boone.
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After Climate Rulings, Insurers May Go On Coverage Offense
As climate change lawsuits progress, coverage litigation quickly follows — as evidenced by two recently filed suits, Aloha Petroleum v. National Union Fire Insurance and Everest Premier Insurance v. Gulf Oil — and insurers will likely become more proactive in seeking to limit their exposure, say Jose Umbert and Hernan Cipriotti at Zelle.
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What NJ Insurance Disclosure Law Could Mean For Litigation
Thomas Wester and Christian Cavallo at Goldberg Segalla discuss the potential presuit negotiation and litigation implications of a recently enacted New Jersey law requiring automobile insurers to disclose policy limits before the start of a lawsuit, aimed at promoting claim settlement.
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The Lawyer Personalities That Make Up Joint Interest Groups
As multiparty litigation rises and forces competing law firms to work together, George Reede at Zelle looks at the different personalities — from tactful synthesizers to misguided Don Quixotes — that often make up joint representation groups, and how lawyers can overcome the tensions in these and other team settings.
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NJ High Court Ruling Doesn't Negate Insurer Duty To Defend
The New Jersey Supreme Court's decision in Norman v. Admiral Insurance, finding a narrow exception to the duty to defend, doesn't allow insurers to skip out on their litigation defense obligations, say Eric Jesse and Seth Fiur at Lowenstein Sandler.