Property
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October 01, 2024
Calif. Judge Won't Let Insurers Slip Mold Coverage Suit
A California federal judge mostly refused to allow a group of insurers to escape a suit filed by the owner and operator of a 231-unit California apartment complex seeking coverage for mold under a $69 million builders risk policy.
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October 01, 2024
Insurers Say $40M Hurricane Claims Must Be Arbitrated
A group of insurers led by certain underwriters at Lloyd's, London urged a Louisiana federal court to reject a group of property owners' "last-ditch effort" to avoid arbitrating their hurricane damage claims totaling over $40 million, arguing the owners "don't dispute" that the arbitration provision in their policy is enforceable.
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September 30, 2024
Chubb Units Avoid Nearly All Claims In Water Damage Suit
A Connecticut federal court on Monday tossed nearly all coverage claims a commercial real estate company and its owner lodged against Chubb companies over plumbing issues at their headquarters, finding two of the defendant Chubb companies weren't parties to the policy at issue.
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September 30, 2024
Marsh McLennan Paying $7.75B For McGriff Insurance
New York-based global professional services group Marsh McLennan said Monday it has agreed to buy insurance brokerage McGriff Insurance Services, an affiliate of TIH Insurance Holdings, for $7.75 billion in a deal that included guidance from Troutman Pepper, Wachtell Lipton and Simpson Thacher.
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September 27, 2024
La. Property Owners Fight Arbitration Of $40M Coverage Row
Dozens of companies seeking insurance payouts for damage caused by hurricanes Ida and Zeta urged a Louisiana federal court not to push their $40 million suit to arbitration, pointing to a clause in their policy allowing them to bring suit over money owed in any U.S. court.
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September 27, 2024
Hurricane Helene Losses Could Exceed $5B: Market Analyst
The losses from Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that slammed into Florida's panhandle Thursday evening, could exceed $5 billion and challenge insurers dealing with high reinsurance costs, according to an early estimate from the insurer credit rating company AM Best.
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September 27, 2024
Alaska Top Court Says No Coverage For COVID-19 Losses
The Alaska Supreme Court joined a number of state high courts Friday in finding that neither the presence of COVID-19 at a property nor government shutdown orders implemented in response to the pandemic constitute physical loss or damage in order to trigger insurance coverage.
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September 27, 2024
$36M Oil Cleanup Row Isn't A Case For Fed. Court, Judge Says
An Oklahoma federal court tossed a pipeline owner's lawsuit seeking coverage from its excess insurers for an oil spill on tribal land that it said cost over $36 million to clean up, finding the court lacked the subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case.
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September 26, 2024
Round Up: Insurance Highlights At Climate Week NYC
The value of insurer climate risk disclosures, strengthening infrastructure and communicating climate risks were among the top issues that insurance industry officials, elected officials, and regulators highlighted at this year's edition of Climate Week in New York City.
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September 26, 2024
Ga. Hotel's Win Belies Uncertainty In Trafficking Coverage
A Georgia federal judge's ruling that an insurer must defend a hotel in an underlying trafficking lawsuit marked a win for insureds in maintaining the breadth of their policies, but arguments of exclusions and public policy violations continue to divide the courts, experts say.
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September 26, 2024
Insurer Tells NC Justices Not To Revive COVID Coverage Row
An insurer urged North Carolina's top court not to revive a clothing company's COVID-19 coverage suit, saying there has been an "overwhelming" consensus among courts in the U.S. that commercial property insurance policies do not cover business losses caused by the pandemic.
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September 26, 2024
5th Circ. Silo Damage Reversal Sends Warning To Insurers
The Fifth Circuit sent general liability insurers a warning over attempts to flatly deny construction defect claims amid complex facts by reversing an insurer's early win in a dispute over what proportion of the damage to two faulty grain silos constituted covered property damage.
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September 26, 2024
AIG Ghost Gun Win Shows Potential Tort Coverage Difficulties
A New York federal court's finding that AIG has no duty to defend a Texas-based firearms retailer against allegations it contributed to gun violence by selling "ghost gun" components could make getting coverage for mass torts more difficult based on theories of negligence.
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September 26, 2024
Pa. Justices Say COVID Closures Aren't Covered Losses
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court shut the door Thursday on COVID-19 pandemic loss insurance coverage for businesses closed by government mandate, ruling that requisite physical loss or damage required tangible alteration to property, reversing a lower court decision that stated loss of use was sufficient.
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September 26, 2024
Hinshaw Adds Insurance Atty Pair In Los Angeles
Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP has announced a pair of experienced insurance attorneys, one of them a former in-house counsel with the California Department of Insurance, have joined the firm's Los Angeles office.
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September 26, 2024
NY Appeals Court Casts Doubt On $489M Trump Judgment
Judges on a New York state appeals court expressed skepticism Thursday of a $489 million civil fraud judgment against Donald Trump, his sons, companies and their executives, raising the prospect that the fine awarded to the attorney general could be reduced or vacated.
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September 25, 2024
Fla. Condo's Irma Suit Dismissed After Settlement With Insurer
A Florida federal court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Fort Myers Beach condominium association after it settled with an insurance company for an appraisal award that was allegedly owed for damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
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September 25, 2024
Fla., Calif. Seek Insurance Cures On Climate Crisis Frontlines
California and Florida may be on opposite coasts, and opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they're facing a common dilemma: how to address the stress that mounting climate risks have imposed on property insurance and real estate within their borders.
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September 25, 2024
Insurer Can't Escape Coverage Of $10M NY Infant Injury Suit
A New York federal court ruled Wednesday that an insurer had to face certain claims brought by a general contractor seeking defense coverage for $10 million underlying litigation blaming it for negligently injuring an infant with falling sheetrock while working in his home.
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September 25, 2024
NC Judge Limits $5.6M Hurricane Claims In Part Over Deadline
A North Carolina federal court found that a property owner awarded $5.6 million following hurricane damages could continue its breach of contract case against an insurer for alleged underpayment for 2016 Hurricane Matthew damages, though its claims for 2018 Hurricane Florence damages were time-barred.
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September 25, 2024
Dept. Asks Mich. Justices To Tackle Unitary Tax Case
The Michigan Supreme Court should review an appellate court decision that found that insurance companies that are part of Nationwide should file their taxes as a unitary group because the case poses a significant public impact, the state Treasury Department said.
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September 24, 2024
Lloyd's Units Seek To Keep $3.4M Yacht Dispute Alive
A group of Lloyd's syndicates and underwriters urged a Washington federal court to reject a yacht builder's bid to avoid reimbursing them for the $3.4 million in coverage they paid after a luxury yacht suffered severe damage when a mobile boat hoist failed during an August 2020 vessel launch.
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September 24, 2024
Calif. Panel Frees Insurer From $7.5M Dog Attack Judgment
A California appeals court panel affirmed an insurer didn't owe any part of a $7.5 million judgment for a dog attack, finding a homeowner's policy excluding coverage for injuries caused by a pit bull clearly applied to the homeowner's sister's dog, Bugzy.
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September 23, 2024
Adjuster Has No Duty To Insured In La. Hurricane Row
A Louisiana federal judge ruled Monday that an insurance adjuster can't be dragged into a third-party demand by a nursing facility property owner over Hurricane Ida damage to its New Orleans location, finding that only "in very rare circumstances" would the adjuster have any duty to an insured.
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September 20, 2024
5th Circ. Reverses Insurer's Early Win In Silo Damage Dispute
The Fifth Circuit reversed an insurer's early win in a coverage dispute with an agricultural cooperative over damage to two grain silos, instead finding that questions remained about whether wind and weather damage because of faulty construction qualified as property damage under the policy.
Expert Analysis
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New La. Managing Agent Law May Portend Growing Scrutiny
Recent amendments to Louisiana’s managing general agent regulations impose expansive new obligations on such agents and their insurer partners, which may be a sign of heightened regulatory, commercial and rating agency scrutiny, say attorneys at McDermott.
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What Fla. Ruling Means For Insurer Managed Repair Programs
A recent Florida state court ruling in Fraga v. Citizens Property Insurance, holding that the insurer could not seek to add additional terms in its managed repair program consent form, should promote clear written contract terms that clarify the relationship between insurers, policyholders and contractors, says Chip Merlin at Merlin Law Group.
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NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
The second quarter of 2024 saw less enforcement activity in the realm of New York financial services, but brought substantial regulatory and legislative developments, including state regulators' guidance on cybersecurity compliance and customer service processes for virtual currency entities, say James Vivenzio and Andrew Lucas at Perkins Coie.
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Takeaways From Justices' Redemption Insurance Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Connelly v. U.S. examines how to determine the fair market value of shares in a closely held company for estate tax purposes, and clarifies how life insurance held by the company to enable redemption of a decedent’s shares affects that calculation, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.
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Managing Legal Risks After University Gaza Protests
Following the protests sparked by the war in Gaza, colleges and universities should expect a long investigative tail and take steps to mitigate risks associated with compliance issues under various legal frameworks and institutional policies, say Wiley's Diana Shaw and Colin Cloherty.
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An Insurance Coverage Checklist For PFAS Defendants
With PFAS liability exposures attracting increased media attention, now is a good time for companies that could be exposed to liability related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to review existing and past insurance policies, and consider taking proactive steps to maximize their likelihood of coverage, say attorneys at Nossaman.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Tips For Advising CRE Owners Affected By Houston Storms
As Houston residents begin the arduous process of recovery after this month's devastating storms, attorneys should guide commercial real estate owners and managers toward immediate action under their insurance coverage to facilitate restoration and a return to normalcy, says Justin Ratley at Munsch Hardt.
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Key Insurance Considerations After $725M Benzene Verdict
The recent massive benzene verdict in Gill v. Exxon Mobil will certainly trigger insurance questions — and likely a new wave of benzene suits — so potential defendants should study Radiator Specialty v. Arrowood Indemnity, the only state high court decision regarding benzene claim coverage, says Jonathan Hardin at Perkins Coie.
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3rd Circ.'s Geico Ruling May Encourage Healthcare Arbitration
The Third Circuit's recent decision in Geico v. Mount Prospect, finding that claims under New Jersey's Insurance Fraud Prevention Act can be arbitrated, strengthens arbitration as a viable alternative to litigation, even though it is not necessarily always a more favorable forum, say Khaled Klele and Jessica Osterlof at McCarter & English.
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Key Lessons From Recent Insurance Policy Reform Litigation
A review of recent case law reveals the wide range of misunderstandings that may arise between insurers and policyholders in the purchase and renewal of insurance policies, as well as the utility — and the limits — of reformation and related remedies for these misunderstandings, say Jad Khazem and Seth Tucker at Covington.
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Insurance Types That May Help Cos. After Key Bridge Collapse
Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, businesses that depend on the bridge, the Port of Baltimore and related infrastructure for shipment and distribution of cargo should understand which common types of first-party insurance coverage may provide recoveries for financial losses, say Bert Wells and Richard Lewis at Reed Smith.