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Insurance
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July 02, 2024
Calif. School District Says Chubb Must Cover Sex Abuse Suits
The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country, accused several Chubb units of wrongfully denying coverage for 61 underlying sexual abuse claims, telling a state court that the underlying allegations create at least a potential for coverage under its policies.
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July 02, 2024
DOL Sends Final Rule On Mental Health Parity To White House
The U.S. Department of Labor transmitted a final rule to the White House for review designed to boost employer health plans' compliance with a law requiring equal coverage of mental health and substance use disorder treatments compared to physical care, according to a regulatory filing posted online.
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July 02, 2024
Blank Rome Taps California Insurance Recovery Pros
Two lawyers from Northern California insurance specialty boutique Weinstein & Numbers LLP, including one of the firm's founders who represented the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco and other dioceses, are joining Blank Rome.
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July 02, 2024
Progressive, NY Drivers Set $48M Deal To End Car Value Fight
A class of drivers has asked a New York federal court to tentatively sign off on a $48 million settlement with Progressive insurers over allegations that the carriers undervalued and underpaid policyholders' claims for totaled vehicles, saying the agreement is an "excellent result" for the classes.
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July 01, 2024
W.Va. Homeowner's Depreciation Suit Survives Dismissal
A West Virginia federal court declined to toss a homeowner's lawsuit accusing an insurer, broker and loss adjuster of unlawfully depreciating the value of his home after a flood, determining that the homeowner met the pleading standards to defeat dismissal.
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July 01, 2024
Gas Co. Not Covered For Pollution MDL, NY Court Rules
A petroleum company is not owed coverage for an underlying multidistrict litigation over remediation for groundwater contamination that the suit alleges was caused by a gasoline additive, a New York state appeals court said, holding that pollution exclusions in multiple of its policies applied to the contamination.
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July 01, 2024
House Republicans Call For ACA Enrollment Probe
Three House Republican committee chairs are asking government watchdogs to investigate Affordable Care Act enrollments after a third-party report alleged a significant number of Americans are fraudulently accessing low-income healthcare subsidies.
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July 01, 2024
Aldi Unit, Warehouse Settle Suit Over Rodent-Ravaged Sweets
A New Jersey federal court has permanently tossed a suit brought by an Aldi branch and its insurer seeking payback from a warehouse operator after rodents feasted on hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of chocolate stored there, signing off on a settlement.
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July 01, 2024
Delta Dental Wants Antitrust Claims Standard Decided Now
Delta Dental has asked an Illinois federal judge to decide now — prior to ruling on a class certification bid — on the standard of review applicable in a case launched by service providers alleging the dental insurance system and its members are violating antitrust law through a $13 billion scheme to restrict competition.
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July 01, 2024
Top Personal Injury, Med Mal News: 2024 Midyear Report
A high court ruling over whether bump stocks can be considered machine guns under a federal agency's rule banning the devices and a huge railroad settlement over a Norfolk Southern derailment disaster are among Law360's top personal injury and medical malpractice cases for the first six months of 2024.
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July 01, 2024
Colo. Restaurant Says Insurer Must Cover Plumbing Damage
A Denver restaurant said it is owed coverage for its property losses and a neighbor's demand for reimbursement after a sewage leak allegedly caused by defective plumbing work damaged a commercial condominium complex, telling a Colorado state court its insurer unreasonably denied or delayed coverage.
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June 28, 2024
Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes
By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.
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June 28, 2024
In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.
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June 28, 2024
Insurer Says Auto Co.'s COVID Coverage Suit Is Time-Barred
An auto parts manufacturer's lawsuit seeking $50 million in coverage for COVID-19-related losses is time-barred, an insurer told a North Carolina federal court Friday, arguing that the manufacturer filed suit a year after the policy's three-year limitation period.
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June 28, 2024
Rite Aid Ch. 11 Plan OK'd With Insurers' Objections Resolved
A New Jersey bankruptcy judge Friday approved pharmacy chain Rite Aid's Chapter 11 restructuring plan after the company said it had resolved objections from its insurance carriers to how the plan treats their policies.
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June 28, 2024
Insurer Says It Owes No Coverage In Hair Relaxer Litigation
As a beauty manufacturer faces allegations that its line of hair relaxers contain carcinogenic ingredients, Selective Way Insurance Co. has asked a Georgia federal judge to release it from having to cover the company's defense in a sprawling multidistrict litigation.
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June 28, 2024
Uber Driver Axes Coverage Claims Against Co.'s Insurer
An Uber driver agreed to dismiss his claims against an insurer for Uber after he filed a suit in Massachusetts federal court accusing it and the ride-hailing company of wrongly refusing to offer him underinsured motorist coverage after he said he was severely injured in an accident.
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June 28, 2024
3 Biggest Benefits Policy Developments From 2024's 1st Half
The U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies finalized significant changes to regulations affecting employee benefits in the first half of 2024. Here are three policy moves that benefits attorneys should have on their radar.
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June 28, 2024
Insurer Says Kennel Expansion Complaints Not Covered
A Hanover unit told a California federal court that it has no obligation to defend a dog kennel in an underlying lawsuit alleging that the kennel's expansion, which increased capacity from about 20 dogs to 200 dogs, interfered with the community's rights of possession.
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June 28, 2024
5th Circ. Tosses Texas Health System's COVID-19 Suit
The largest nonprofit health system in Texas cannot get coverage for COVID-19-related business interruption losses it said totaled over $192 million, the Fifth Circuit affirmed, highlighting previous circuit precedent establishing that COVID-19 does not cause "physical loss or damage."
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June 28, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen Uber hit with claims from Addison Lee and the former CEO of the Kabbee app, animal by-product company Leo Group file a defamation claim against a local anti-odor campaigner, and a self-styled lord who claims to be the illegitimate son of the late Prince Phillip resume legal action against his cousins for a share in his late aunt's estate. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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June 27, 2024
Insurers Call Rite Aid Ch. 11 Opioid Deal Unfair
Counsel for bankrupt drugstore chain Rite Aid told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge Thursday that it hopes to reach an agreement with at least some of its insurers on payments into an opioid settlement fund before closing arguments in its Chapter 11 plan confirmation Friday.
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June 27, 2024
4th Circ. Revives Wood Treatment Injury Coverage Row
An insurer must cover the maker of a wood treatment product in a suit over a man's cancer diagnosis following decades of exposure to the chemical, the Fourth Circuit said Thursday in a published opinion reversing a lower court's finding.
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June 27, 2024
AG Says Trump Recusal Bid Relies On 'Distortion Of Facts'
New York's attorney general says Donald Trump is relying on a "distortion of facts" in seeking to oust the judge who ordered the former president to pay $465 million in penalties in his civil fraud case.
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June 27, 2024
Paper Co. Settles Employee Theft Suit Coverage After Trial
Following a settlement, a paper manufacturer agreed to end its Tennessee federal suit against its insurer over coverage for an employee theft scheme that the paper company said caused $31 million in losses.
Expert Analysis
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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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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Series
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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Considering CGL Defense For Social Media Addiction Claims
A recent lawsuit filed in California state court against Meta seeks damages from technology companies for the costs of treating children allegedly suffering from social media addiction, but the prospects of defense coverage under commercial general liability insurance policies for a potential new wave of claims look promising, say Craig Hirsch and Tae Andrews at Pasich.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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9th Circ. Ruling Puts Teeth Into Mental Health Parity Claims
In its recent finding that UnitedHealth applied an excessively strict review process for substance use disorder treatment claims, the Ninth Circuit provided guidance on how to plead a Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act violation and took a step toward achieving mental health parity in healthcare, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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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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The Future Of BIPA Insurance Litigation After Visual Pak
A recent Illinois appellate court decision, National Fire Insurance v. Visual Pak, may have altered the future of insurance litigation under the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act by diametrically opposing a prominent Seventh Circuit ruling that found insurance coverage for violations of the act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener
As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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An NYDFS-Regulated Bank's Guide To Proper Internal Audits
As certification deadlines for compliance with the New York State Department of Financial Services’ transaction monitoring and cybersecurity regulations loom, lawyers should remember that the NYDFS offers no leeway for best efforts — and should ensure robust auditing and recordkeeping processes for clients, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.
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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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Series
NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1
The first quarter of 2024 saw a number of notable legal and regulatory developments that will significantly affect New York's financial services industry, including the New York Department of Financial Services' finalized novel guidance directing banks to continuously monitor the character and fitness of key personnel, say Brian Montgomery and Nathan Lewko at Pillsbury.