Insurance

  • December 06, 2024

    4 Big Developments In ERISA Cases From 2nd Half Of 2024

    The Sixth Circuit reopened a retirement plan mismanagement suit against Parker-Hannifin Corp. and revived a manufacturing company worker's disability benefits bid, while the nation's highest court declined to review a plan trustee's unsuccessful attempt to force an employee stock sale dispute into arbitration. Here, Law360 looks at four recent decisions in Employee Retirement Income Security Act cases that benefits attorneys should know.

  • December 06, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen Burberry file a copyright claim against discount store B&M, the former owner of Charlton Athletic file a debt claim against the football club, and British Airways and the U.K. government face a class action brought by flight passengers taken hostage at the start of the First Gulf War. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • December 05, 2024

    Fla. Labs Say Cigna's Trial 'Confession' Erases $7.3M Verdict

    Three Florida drug testing laboratories have urged a Connecticut federal court to undo a $7.3 million jury verdict for Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. over unjustified billings, arguing a new trial is warranted after the insurer allegedly made a "confession" during opening statements that it wasn't seeking damages for itself.

  • December 05, 2024

    Insurers Say Hurricane Damage Suit Still Must Be Arbitrated

    A group of insurers is urging a Louisiana federal court not to reopen litigation over millions of dollars of hurricane damage that was previously ordered into arbitration, saying a new decision on the arbitration of insurance matters from the state's top court doesn't trump a related Fifth Circuit opinion.

  • December 05, 2024

    7th Circ. Weighs Progressive Class' Proof In Car Value Suit

    Some Seventh Circuit judges seemed unsure Thursday that a group of Progressive insureds should be allowed to pursue class claims over allegedly improper cash valuations for totaled vehicles, saying the class would likely struggle to prove each of their contracts were breached.

  • December 05, 2024

    Providers' $2.8B BCBS Antitrust Deal Gets Judge's Initial OK

    An Alabama federal judge has given his initial approval for a $2.8 billion settlement inked between Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and a proposed class of medical providers in a more than 12-year-old antitrust case targeting association rules.

  • December 05, 2024

    Chinese Bank Faces New Suit Alleging Reinsurance Fraud

    Another group of insurers has accused one of China's largest banks of participating in a "multi-billion-dollar fraud" in the reinsurance market, telling a New York federal court Thursday that the bank, including its New York branch, has refused to honor over $890 million worth of letters of credit.

  • December 05, 2024

    11th Circ. Won't Rethink $100M Credit For John Hancock

    The Eleventh Circuit won't reconsider its decision to let John Hancock Life Insurance Co. keep $100 million in foreign tax credits, leaving in place its October ruling against a Florida law firm retirement plan's trustees.

  • December 05, 2024

    Insurer Says Fake Adjuster Cost It $800K

    An insurer told a Puerto Rico federal court that a lying and unlicensed adjuster and his company illegally stepped into a dispute with its insured, costing the carrier at least $800,000 while trying to compensate the territory's highway and transportation system for hurricane damages.

  • December 05, 2024

    Airbnb Customers Drop 'Assistance Fee' Suit Against Insurers

    A proposed class of Airbnb customers permanently dropped a suit accusing two of the company's insurance providers of violating Washington state law by charging an "assistance fee" when selling travel coverage.

  • December 05, 2024

    Insurer Beats Vegas Casino's COVID-19 Coverage Bid

    The insurer of a Las Vegas hotel and casino did not breach its contract when it denied the resort's request for COVID-19 coverage, a Nevada federal court ruled, finding that a previous order conflicts with a state supreme court decision regarding coverage for pandemic-related losses.

  • December 04, 2024

    Insurer Owes Coverage In Florida Keys Property Sale Dispute

    A Florida state appeals court partially reversed a lower court's ruling that an insurer didn't owe two insureds a defense in an underlying suit accusing them of conspiring with a Key West property seller, finding Wednesday there were insufficient allegations to trigger a policy exclusion.

  • December 04, 2024

    No Coverage For P&G Environmental Claims, Insurers Say

    A group of Hartford units told an Ohio federal court Wednesday they owe no coverage to Procter & Gamble Co. for three underlying lawsuits accusing the company of contaminating groundwater in New York, and for a separate warehouse fire in Michigan that caused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to intervene.

  • December 04, 2024

    P&C Insurers Post $4.1B Underwriting Gain In Big Reversal

    The U.S. property and casualty insurance market recorded a $4.1 billion net underwriting gain in the first nine months of 2024, according to a report issued Wednesday by global credit rating agency AM Best, which called the turnaround a significant improvement from the prior year's $32.1 billion loss.

  • December 04, 2024

    Panel Affirms CNA's Reading Of 'Control' In Abuse Exclusion

    A CNA unit providing commercial insurance to a massage spa owed no defense to its owner and manager against claims the owner sexually assaulted three women, a California state appeals court ruled, in a case of first impression over the meaning of "care, custody or control" in an abuse exclusion.

  • December 04, 2024

    Farmers Insurance Off Hook In Homeowner's Fire Loss Appeal

    A California homeowner who alleged that an agent underinsured her scorched $3 million Malibu home cannot blame Farmers Insurance, a state appeals court affirmed, finding in a published opinion that the agent acted independently when obtaining a policy via a fire insurance pool for her client.

  • December 04, 2024

    NY Diocese Gets OK For Ch. 11 Plan With Optional Releases

    A New York bankruptcy judge approved a Long Island-based Roman Catholic diocese's Chapter 11 plan on Wednesday after hearing it had resolved objections from the U.S. Trustee's Office with a two-tier claims release system for sexual abuse claimants.

  • December 03, 2024

    Pizza Chain Insurer Owes Share Of Salmonella Deal, Suit Says

    An insurer told a Washington federal court that a Liberty Mutual subsidiary must contribute to a settlement reached by their mutual insured, a "take 'n' bake" pizza restaurant, arising out of allegations that customers purchased raw cookie dough tainted with Salmonella bacteria.

  • December 03, 2024

    Sanctions Stick Against Colorado Gear Seller And Its Attys

    A Washington appellate court has upheld about $500,000 in sanctions against an equipment manufacturer and its former counsel, Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska LLP, for failing to disclose information in a dispute over a rock climber's fall at a Seattle gym — including a defense attorney's 38 visits to the accident site.

  • December 03, 2024

    Fla. High Court Takes Up Ex-Marvel Exec's Hate Mail Dispute

    The Florida Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to take up the question of whether former Marvel Entertainment chair Ike Perlmutter can request punitive damages in a case against his neighbor in a long-running defamation dispute over hate mail.

  • December 03, 2024

    AIG Unit Seeks Payback For $2.9M BJ's Injury Payouts

    An AIG unit asked a New York federal court to force another insurer to cover at least part of the $2.9 million it spent settling two construction injury suits after ironworkers fell off ladders while building a Brooklyn, New York, BJ's Wholesale Club in 2014.

  • December 03, 2024

    Insurance Execs Charged With $250M Fake Policy Scheme

    An insurance company and two executives issued bogus insurance policies purporting to offer over $250 million in coverage to companies and homeowners, according to an indictment announced by the Manhattan district attorney Tuesday.

  • December 03, 2024

    Del. Justices To Review 3M Earplug MDL Coverage Dispute

    The Delaware Supreme Court agreed to review a lower court's finding that defense costs paid by 3M in underlying multidistrict litigation over the company's combat earplugs could not satisfy the self-insured retention of its subsidiary's insurance policies.

  • December 03, 2024

    Insurer Says No Coverage For Fishery's $2M Water Damage

    An insurer told an Arizona federal court it owed no coverage to a seafood company embroiled in underlying litigation over more than $2 million in water damage, saying the fishmonger's splashing at its rental property wasn't accidental and its polices weren't in effect at the time.

  • December 03, 2024

    Ill. Panel Relieves Liberty Mutual Units Of BIPA Coverage

    An Illinois state appeals court held that two Liberty Mutual units didn't owe coverage to a policyholder for an underlying class action alleging violations of the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act, reversing a lower court's decision surrounding the interpretation of a recording and distribution exclusion.

Expert Analysis

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys

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    Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • Cos. Should Inventory Issues To Prep For New Congress

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    As the legislative and oversight agendas of the 119th Congress come into sharper focus, corporate counsel should assess and plan for areas of potential oversight risk — from tax policy changes to supply chain integrity — even as much uncertainty remains, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Next Steps In The $2.8B Blue Cross Payout To Providers

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    Healthcare providers deciding whether to participate in Blue Cross Blue Shield network's recent $2.8 billion antitrust class action settlement must weigh key recovery factors, including provider type and litigation cost, say attorneys at Hall Render.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • 3 Policyholder Lessons From NY Bad Faith Ruling

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    A New York appellate court's recent decision finding that Rockefeller University alleged viable bad faith claims against its insurers reinforces the principle that insurers may not elevate their own economic interests over those of their insureds, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Total loss valuation cases and labor depreciation cases dominated the past quarter of insurance class actions, with courts continuing to reject challenges to condition adjustments in the former, and a pro-insured trend persisting in the latter, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice

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    New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • How Property Insurance Coverage Shrank After The Pandemic

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    Insurers litigating property claims are leveraging rulings that provided relief in the COVID-19 context to reverse the former majority rule on physical loss or damage in all contexts, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

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