General Liability
-
October 22, 2024
NYC Eatery Operators Say Insurers Must Cover Gas Leak Loss
The operators of a New York City Italian restaurant said their insurers wrongly denied coverage for business income and food inventory losses sustained as a result of a gas leak, telling a Colorado state court that the carriers can't rely on policy exclusions.
-
October 22, 2024
AIG Says No Coverage For Calif. Ethylene Oxide Pollution Suit
A group of AIG units told a California state court that they owe no coverage to a food product developer or medical sterilization companies Sterigenics US LLC and Sotera Health LLC over claims that they intentionally exposed residents to a known carcinogen between the late 1980s and 2022.
-
October 22, 2024
Ex-Atty Charged With Stealing Settlement Funds From Clients
A former attorney who practiced in Oklahoma and gave up his law license in 2020 amid a disciplinary investigation has been charged in federal court with stealing money his then-clients were owed from settlements between 2015 and 2020.
-
October 22, 2024
Insurer Beats Sacramento Kings' COVID-19 Coverage Suit
A California federal court handed a win to the Sacramento Kings' insurer in a coverage dispute over pandemic-related losses that the basketball team and its arena operator incurred, finding that a contamination exclusion bars coverage.
-
October 22, 2024
The 2024 Prestige Leaders
Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.
-
October 22, 2024
How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status
For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.
-
October 21, 2024
5th Circ. Asked To Nix Insurer's $2.2M Assault Coverage Win
A group of Texas trial lawyers urged the Fifth Circuit to reverse a Texas federal court's order permitting a bar's insurer to pay only its $1 million limit for a $3.2 million personal injury judgment, arguing the underlying plaintiffs made a valid presuit settlement demand.
-
October 18, 2024
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms
The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
-
October 18, 2024
Carrier To Pay $615M Over Kidde-Fenwal Fire Foam Claims
Carrier Global Corp. revealed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday that it will pay at least $615 million as part of a settlement in connection to its ownership of bankrupt Kidde-Fenwal Inc., which faces multidistrict litigation arising from its manufacture of firefighting foam with deadly "forever chemicals."
-
October 18, 2024
U.S. Paralympic Rape Case Not Covered, Insurer Says
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has no coverage for a national team member's underlying sex abuse suit because the swimmer accused of raping him is not a committee employee, an insurer told a Colorado federal court Friday.
-
October 18, 2024
Insurer Blames Truckers For $6.7M Jet Engine Loss
An insurer who paid more than $6.7 million to a commercial airline parts manufacturer it insured after a jet engine was damaged in a truck crash is pursuing several contractors in Connecticut federal court, blaming them for negligently transporting the engine.
-
October 18, 2024
Judge Excuses Nationwide From Ga. Mold Death Coverage
A Georgia federal judge found Nationwide Property & Casualty Insurance Co. has no duty to defend an apartment owner from claims in a separate lawsuit alleging the landlord failed to treat black mold or warn a tenant who died of exposure to the infestation.
-
October 18, 2024
Gym Contractor Says Carriers Owe $7M For Faulty Materials
A Minnesota-based construction company told a federal district court that three insurers must cover a $7 million judgment entered against their mutual insured because of quality issues with limestone panels to be installed on the exterior of three Life Time Athletic Clubs.
-
October 17, 2024
Milton Brings High Insured Costs, Familiar Pressures To Fla.
While Florida avoided a worst case scenario following Hurricane Milton's landfall, insurance experts say that the high cost of the storm will add familiar pressures to a Florida homeowners insurance market that has been battered for years by storms.
-
October 17, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The Texas insurance chief denied an insurer of last resort's 10% rate hike proposal, a Pennsylvania federal court sacked the Philadelphia Eagles' COVID-19 coverage claims, asbestos claimants urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold the reorganization plan of Kaiser Gypsum Co. and an insurer avoided defending a gender discrimination suit. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
-
October 17, 2024
Law360's Guide To The 2024 Insurance Commissioner Races
Voters around the country are gearing up to head to the polls, reading up on candidates' policies and checking their registration statuses, but in four states, voters will also cast their ballots for a new insurance commissioner. Here, Law360 takes a look at the races.
-
October 17, 2024
Embryonic Personhood Poses Live Questions For Insurers
The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to consider an Alabama suit alleging the wrongful deaths of embryos at the hands of a fertility clinic has prompted questions over whether insurers and policyholders are prepared to deal with new potential liabilities in connection with reproduction.
-
October 16, 2024
Fraud Probe Spoils Crop Insurance Case, 6th Circ. Rules
A Sixth Circuit panel on Tuesday affirmed dismissal of two Michigan farmers' claims against the federal government and a private crop insurer over claims of loss that have been stuck in limbo during a crop-insurance fraud investigation.
-
October 15, 2024
Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues
A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
-
October 15, 2024
The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders
Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.
-
October 11, 2024
Insurer Must Defend Flight Co. Over Propeller Injury Suit
An insurer must defend a flight training business against personal injury claims by a flight instructor who said an aircraft propeller injured him, an Illinois federal court ruled Friday, finding the company's late notice to the business's insurer did not void the potential for coverage.
-
October 11, 2024
No Coverage For Wage Disclosure Suits, Insurer Says
An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify two restaurant franchise operators accused of violating Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, telling a federal court that the allegations do not trigger coverage under an employment practices liability insurance policy.
-
October 11, 2024
Asbestos Claimants Say Kaiser Ch. 11 Plan Should Stand
Asbestos injury claimants in Kaiser Gypsum Co.'s bankruptcy case have asked the Fourth Circuit to uphold the company's Chapter 11 plan, saying the arguments against it by Kaiser's primary insurer are based on speculative harms.
-
October 11, 2024
Subcontractor Owes Travelers $325K For Hotel Work Deal
A Travelers unit is entitled to recover $325,000 for payments made against its surety bonds to settle a general contractor's claims that a subcontractor abandoned work on an Idaho hotel, a Washington federal court ruled, finding the subcontractor liable under an indemnity agreement with Travelers.
-
October 10, 2024
Insurers Win Big In Hawaii Climate Change Pollutant Suit
The Hawaii Supreme Court's ruling that AIG doesn't need to cover a suit accusing a Sunoco subsidiary of contributing to climate change drew praise from insurance carrier attorneys for finding that greenhouse gasses are an excluded pollutant, but policyholder attorneys took satisfaction in the court's expanded view of covered occurrences.
Expert Analysis
-
Parsing Insurance Issues After Mass Shooting 'Occurrences'
A Florida district court’s recent decision in Tony v. Evanston Insurance, which held that the 2018 Parkland High School mass shooting was a single "occurrence" under the town's commercial general liability policy, sheds light on how other courts may make this determination following other mass shooting events, says Elan Kandel at Bailey Cavalieri.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
SC Ruling Reinforces All Sums Coverage Trend
A South Carolina state court's recent ruling in Covil v. Pennsylvania National is the latest in a series of decisions, dating back to the 2016 New York Court of Appeals ruling in Viking Pump, that reject insurers' pro rata allocation argument, further supporting that all sums coverage is required whenever a loss could be covered under a policy in any other year, say Raymond Mascia and Thomas Dupont at Anderson Kill.
-
Del. Supreme Court Insurance Ruling Aids In Defining 'Claim'
The recent Delaware Supreme Court decision in Zurich v. Syngenta, finding that a presuit letter did not constitute a claim for insurance purposes, sets out a three-factor test to help policyholders distinguish when a demand rises to the level of a claim, says Lara Langeneckert at Barnes & Thornburg.
-
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.
-
High Court Should Maintain Insurer Neutrality In Bankruptcy
While a recent Law360 guest article argues that the U.S. Supreme Court should endorse insurer standing in Truck Insurance Exchange v. Kaiser Gypsum, doing so would create a playground for mischief and delay, and the high court should instead uphold insurance neutrality, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.