Property
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August 14, 2024
Insurer Off Hook For Jury Award In Construction Dispute
A commercial insurer does not have to indemnify a contractor found liable for multiple structural and other problems in a home he built, a Massachusetts intermediate appellate court concluded Wednesday in a case of first impression involving what is considered "property damage" in a construction dispute.
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August 14, 2024
Mich. Court Stands By Unitary Biz Ruling For Nationwide
A Michigan state appeals court will not reconsider its decision that insurance companies that are part of Nationwide should file their taxes as a unitary group, and denied the state Treasury Department's request for reconsideration.
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August 13, 2024
Insurers Look To Appoint Umpire In Hurricane Damage Fight
A group of foreign and domestic insurers has asked a New York federal court to resolve an impasse over the appointment of an arbitrator to adjudicate a dispute related to Hurricane Ida damage in the Lafourche Parish of Louisiana, urging the court to appoint an umpire.
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August 13, 2024
Texas AG Targets General Motors Over Unlawful Data Sales
Texas' attorney general has escalated his probe into data privacy practices at connected car manufacturers, hitting General Motors with a lawsuit in state court Tuesday accusing the automaker of unlawfully gathering and selling drivers' private data — which would then be resold to insurance companies — without permission.
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August 13, 2024
1st Circ. Kicks UIM Coverage Battle To RI Justices
The First Circuit asked the Rhode Island Supreme Court to consider the extent an individual who is injured in an auto accident during the scope of their employment is entitled to underinsured motorist coverage under their employer's policy, saying "insurance law is notoriously complex and today's appeal proves that point."
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August 13, 2024
Contractors Owe $7M For Iron Plant Fire, Insurer Says
An insurer for one of the world's largest steel producers told a Texas federal court that five companies it said were responsible for the design, manufacture, sale and installation of a failed component at an iron plant must foot the bill for a fire that cost the producer nearly $7 million.
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August 12, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Hotel In Sex Trafficking Case
An insurer told a Virginia federal judge it didn't owe coverage to a hotel owner accused of participating in sex trafficking at its Super 8 Motel turned Quality Inn, because criminal acts were not covered under state rules or by the policy.
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August 09, 2024
Cos. Say Insurer Owes Coverage For Penn. Building Collapse
A Philadelphia residential building owner and its affiliate accused Trisura Specialty Insurance Co. on Friday of wrongfully denying coverage after part of the property collapsed in September 2022.
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August 09, 2024
Contractor Can't Get Insurer's $36M Water Loss Suit Tossed
A subcontractor that installed a Cleveland skyscraper's fire suppression system cannot yet avoid an insurer's $36 million water damage subrogation claim, an Ohio federal court ruled Friday, finding a genuine factual dispute over whether the insurer had coverage obligations to its two insureds in the first place.
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August 09, 2024
Insurer Says Contractor's Bad Wires Caused $1.8M Yacht Fire
The insurer of a yacht that caught fire while plugged into a dock told a Florida federal court Friday that the electrical company that rewired the hookup owed more than $1.8 million to cover a payout, alleging that the company failed to ground the system, causing the blaze.
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August 08, 2024
Calif. Justices Side With Hartford Unit In Virus Coverage Fight
The California Supreme Court on Thursday reversed an appellate court's finding that a virus endorsement rendered a restaurant's policy illusory in a coverage dispute with a Hartford entity over pandemic-related losses, instead ruling that the endorsement clearly provides coverage "only if the virus results from certain specified causes of loss."
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August 08, 2024
No Private Right To Sue After 'Total Loss,' Colo. Panel Says
Colorado policyholders cannot sue their auto insurers to enforce a statute requiring them to cover vehicles' title and registration fees when vehicles are declared a total loss, a Colorado appeals court ruled Thursday, finding the statute contains no implied private right of action.
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August 08, 2024
Illinois Biometric Privacy Reform Eases Coverage Woes
Illinois reformed its biometric privacy law that started a wave of litigation by limiting the potential liabilities for sharing biometric data without informed consent, which experts said will ease the coverage concerns of both policyholders and insurers.
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August 08, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The Eleventh Circuit rejected insurers' coverage challenges in separate suits over a wood-theft settlement and a storm damage appraisal award, a Georgia federal court ordered an insurer to defend a farm in a couple's suit over foul smells, and the Eighth Circuit said Geico had no duty to cover a woman's HPV claims. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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August 08, 2024
Wash. HOA Says Allstate Must Cover $8M Water Damage
A Washington state condominium association accused Allstate of wrongfully denying coverage of an $8 million water damage claim it filed after discovering hidden damage to the exterior of its buildings.
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August 08, 2024
8th Circ. Avoids 'Absurd Results' In Geico HPV Suit
While the Eighth Circuit reasonably interpreted a Geico auto policy as not providing coverage for a woman's claim that she contracted HPV during sexual encounters in a policyholder's car, carriers should heed the case as a warning to draft clearer policy language, policyholder and insurer-side attorneys alike agreed.
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August 08, 2024
Agency Wants Out Of 7-Eleven Murder Coverage Dispute
An insurance agency told a Texas federal court that it was improperly joined to a dispute brought by 7-Eleven over coverage of underlying litigation seeking more than $1 million after a deadly shooting at a Houston gas station the chain rented.
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August 08, 2024
Community Insurance Can Plug NFIP Gaps, Expert Says
Community-based flood insurance can help cover insurance gaps and provide fast insurance relief to towns and cities at risk of flooding, UC Davis researcher and former Federal Emergency Management Agency engineer Kathleen Schaefer tells Law360.
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August 08, 2024
Conflicting Rulings Muddy Del. Stance On No-Action Clause
Conflicting Delaware state court rulings on the enforcement of no-action clauses in liability insurance policies have called into question the compatibility of such clauses with an insurer's duty to defend, policyholder experts say.
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August 07, 2024
Insurer Wants Bad Faith Claim Tossed In Russian Planes Suit
HDI Global and underwriters of insurance policies on airplanes stranded in Russia have asked a Florida court to toss a bad faith claim by aircraft leasing company Avmax, arguing that bad faith only applies to coverage denials without a reasonable basis and that in this case there has been no denial, and it is "fairly debatable" whether coverage applies.
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August 07, 2024
11th Circ. Affirms Unapportioned Wood-Theft Settlement
The Eleventh Circuit has unanimously upheld a Georgia federal court ruling forcing an insurer to cover a $557,000 settlement for shoddy work and wood theft during a deconstruction project by its policyholder, despite objections from the insurer that the amount was not apportioned between covered and noncovered losses.
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August 07, 2024
Texas Last-Resort Insurer Approves 10% Rate Hike
Texas' windstorm insurer of last resort approved a 10% rate hike subject to state approval following expectations that Hurricane Beryl and other spring storm claims will significantly deplete the insurer's $451 million catastrophe reserve trust fund.
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August 07, 2024
BP Malpractice Deal Needs Work, 5th Circ. Says
The Fifth Circuit scrapped a legal malpractice settlement in a consolidated lawsuit alleging attorneys were negligent in representing plaintiffs seeking compensation following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with a panel finding the terms were not mutually agreed upon.
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August 06, 2024
11th Circ. Won't Let Chubb Unit Ax $13.8M Appraisal Award
A Florida condo association's insurer waived its ability to challenge an over $13.8 million storm damage appraisal award by only arguing in court that the association's appraiser had a conflict of interest, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, finding the insurer could've lodged a challenge during the appraisal process itself.
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August 06, 2024
Testing Lab Can't Add Bad Faith Claims In Income Loss Case
A Pennsylvania federal judge found Tuesday that a prior agreement between a medical testing lab and its insurer expressly precluded added allegations that the insurer acted in bad faith while handling the lab's claim for loss of records and business income.
Expert Analysis
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: April Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three notable circuit court decisions on topics from the Class Action Fairness Act to consumer fraud — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including CAFA’s local controversy exception and Article III standing to seek injunctive relief.
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Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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Top 10 Queries For Insurers Entering Surplus Lines Market
John Emmanuel at Locke Lord discusses what insurers should understand before entering into the surplus lines market, a growing, state-regulated area, subject to much variation in application and enforcement.
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Sorting Circuit Split On Foreign Arbitration Treaty's Authority
A circuit court split over whether the New York Convention supersedes state law barring arbitration in certain disputes — a frequent issue in insurance matters — has left lower courts to rely on conflicting decisions, but the doctrine of self-executing treaties makes it clear that the convention overrules state law, says Gary Shaw at Pillsbury.
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What New Conn. Insurance Bulletin Means For Data And AI
A recent bulletin from the Connecticut Insurance Department concerning insurers' usage of artificial intelligence systems appears consistent with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' gradual shift away from focusing on big data, and may potentially protect insurers from looming state requirements despite a burdensome framework, say attorneys at Day Pitney.
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Policy Misrepresentations Carry Insurance Rescission Risks
The Second Circuit's recent decision in Medical Mutual v. Gnik, finding that material misrepresentation in a clinic's insurance applications warranted policy rescission, is a clear example of the far-reaching effects that misrepresentations can have and provides a reminder that policyholders should employ relatively straightforward steps to decrease risks, say attorneys at Hunton.
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2nd Circ. Ruling Clarifies When Demand Letters Are Claims
The Second Circuit’s decision last week in Pine Management v. Colony Insurance, affirming that an insurer had no obligation to defend an insured for claims made before the policy period, provides clarity on when presuit demands for relief constitute claims — an important issue that may be dispositive of coverage, says Bonnie Thompson at Lavin Rindner.
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A Legal Playbook For Stadium Construction Agreements
As a new wave of construction in the professional sports arena space gets underway, owners must carefully consider the unique considerations and risks associated with these large-scale projects and draft agreements accordingly, say attorneys at Akerman.
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Insurance Policy Takeaways From UK Lockdown Loss Ruling
An English court's recent decision in Unipolsai v. Covea, determining that insurers' losses from COVID-19 lockdowns were covered by reinsurance, highlights key issues on insurance policy wordings, including how to define a "catastrophe" in the context of the pandemic, says Daniel Healy at Brown Rudnick.
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Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: March Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four notable circuit court decisions on topics from consumer fraud to employment — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including coercive communications with putative class members and Article III standing at the class certification stage.
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Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents
Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.
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Cos. Seeking Cyber Coverage Can Look To Key Policy Terms
As cyberattacks increasingly threaten business operations, including one last month that partially paralyzed UnitedHealth's services, expanded interpretations of several key policy terms may allow affected companies to recover under cyber business interruption policies or other coverage, even if their business hasn't completely shut down, say attorneys at Kasowitz.
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How Calif. Video Recording Ruling May Affect Insured Exams
A recent California appellate decision, Myasnyankin v. Nationwide, allowing policyholders to video record all parties to an insurance examination under oath, has changed the rules of the road for EUOs and potentially opened Pandora's box for future disputes, say John Edson and Preston Bennett at Sheppard Mullin.