General Liability
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April 17, 2025
Colo. FAIR Plan Gives Policyholders Options At A Cost
Colorado launched the country's first new Fair Access to Insurance Requirements, or FAIR, Plan in 40 years to offer residents another tool in an increasingly challenging wildfire, hail and wind market, but experts emphasized that this limited form of coverage is not intended to address affordability concerns.
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April 17, 2025
Liberty Mutual Says Other Insurer Owes $500K For Crane Row
A Liberty Mutual unit said it is owed over $500,000 for defending a contractor in underlying litigation over a crane incident, telling a New York federal court that the contractor qualifies as an additional insured under a subcontractor's commercial general liability policy.
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April 17, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Auto insurers can't shake feds' "forced coverage" claims, the Suquamish Tribe asks the U.S. Supreme Court not to weigh in on its COVID-19 coverage case, saying its court has jurisdiction, IBM wants coverage for $900 million in environmental expenses and Consumer Watchdog sues California's insurance chief over proposed post-wildfire insurance surcharges.
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April 17, 2025
Coach USA Insurer Seeks Coverage Clarification In Ch. 7 Case
An insurer for bus operator Coach USA Inc. asked a Delaware bankruptcy court to find that it does not owe commercial auto liability coverage for certain claims arising out of Coach's operations that are insured by its captive insurer.
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April 17, 2025
Insurer Owes No Coverage For Fatal Facade Collapse
An insurer has no duty to defend a roofing contractor in a wrongful death lawsuit alleging that two individuals died from the collapse of a building facade, an Illinois federal court ruled, finding a prior works exclusion applicable.
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April 17, 2025
General Aviation Insurance Stays Steady Through Turbulence
The general aviation and airline insurance industry remains steady despite supply-chain concerns and a rise in accident rates. Here, Philip Stafford, a senior partner in Gallagher's aerospace division, shares his thoughts on the current state of this sector with Law360.
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April 17, 2025
Insurance Regulators Urged To Address Climate Change Risks
Insurance regulators must strengthen their understanding of the threats posed by climate change and better consider how those risks will shape the stability of the sector, a group of international regulators said in a report.
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April 16, 2025
IBM Sues Insurers Over $900M In Environmental Expenses
IBM has taken several of its excess commercial general liability insurers to New York federal court, arguing that following IBM's coverage settlements with underlying insurers, they are now on the hook for over $900 million in environmental remediation expenses incurred under policies issued between 1961 and 1970.
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April 16, 2025
Texas Oil Cos. Seek Pass-Through Pollution Claims Coverage
Oil and gas companies told a Texas federal court on Wednesday that their insurer must pay to defend them against pass-through claims in connection with underlying pollution lawsuits thanks to a purchase and sale agreement they entered into with another company.
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April 16, 2025
5th Circ. Says Late Settlement Notice Means No Coverage
A healthcare company was rightfully denied coverage for a settlement over the erroneous approval of a Florida Medicaid recipient's out-of-state treatment, a Fifth Circuit panel ruled, finding the company breached its policy when it failed to inform its insurer of the agreement in advance.
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April 15, 2025
Massive Calif. Fire Assessment Pass-Through Sparks Suit
Public interest nonprofit Consumer Watchdog sued California's insurance chief in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to stop him from allowing insurance companies to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in assessment costs as surcharges onto policyholders, claiming the decision was made without any public input, in violation of the state's Administrative Procedure Act.
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April 15, 2025
Nonprofit's Prior Loss Coverage Limited For Worker Theft
A nonprofit cannot get more coverage from Auto-Owners Insurance Co. for an employee theft scheme that caused losses totaling roughly $554,000, a Kansas federal court ruled, interpreting the scope of a "prior loss provision" that covered losses occurring before the policy's coverage period.
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April 14, 2025
Chubb Units Owe $9M For Sex Abuse Settlement, Court Told
A former student of a Brooklyn private school said two Chubb units are on the hook for a $9 million settlement he entered into with the school to resolve sexual abuse claims, telling a New York federal court that the insurers unreasonably delayed and refused to settle his claims.
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April 14, 2025
Insurers Not Liable For Counterfeit Drug Suit, 6th Circ. Says
Insurers do not have to cover a Michigan pharmacy accused of selling counterfeit HIV medication, the Sixth Circuit affirmed Monday, finding that policy exclusions prevented the coverage.
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April 14, 2025
Mich. Panel Says Car Insurance Fee Schedule Not Retroactive
A Michigan appellate panel said a fee schedule governing benefits auto insurers must pay injured parties does not apply to injuries sustained before the fee schedule became law, determining the state insurance regulator's 2024 memo misinterpreted the rules.
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April 14, 2025
1st Circ. Can't Hear Class Suit Coverage Row, Oil Co. Says
A heating oil company urged the First Circuit to toss an appeal its insurers filed following a ruling that they must continue defending the company and several executives in a class action over alleged damage caused by oil containing elevated levels of biodiesel, saying the court doesn't currently have jurisdiction.
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April 11, 2025
Insurers Allowed To End Chemical Explosion Coverage Suit
Insurers were allowed Friday to dismiss their case in Texas federal court against Team Industrial Services Inc. seeking to disclaim coverage for underlying suits filed against the company in connection with injuries from a 2021 explosion at a chemical plant.
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April 11, 2025
7th Circ. Asks For Ill. Justices' Input On Pollution Exclusion
A Seventh Circuit panel considering whether an insurer for Sterigenics and its former parent company could avoid paying $150 million in legal costs for defending the company from a torrent of pollution suits has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to weigh in on how to apply a pollution exclusion in the relevant policy.
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April 11, 2025
2nd Circ. Tosses Mid-Case Appeal In Asbestos Coverage Row
A Second Circuit panel dismissed on Friday a mid-case appeal in a dispute over coverage for hundreds of asbestos-related lawsuits, saying that resolving certified questions, including whether an insurer must defend a suit that doesn't name its policyholder, won't substantially advance the litigation.
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April 11, 2025
Outlet Chain Says NC Court Ruling Allows COVID Coverage
A retail outlet chain asked a North Carolina state court to find it had coverage for more than $50 million in pandemic losses, citing a recent state Supreme Court ruling holding that the insuring phrase "direct physical loss" included loss of property use due to COVID-19 public health orders.
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April 10, 2025
Rising Type Of M&A Coverage Can Limit Cyber Risk, Pros Say
Conditions in the market for cyber insurance are positive for buyers, and insurance meant to protect against mergers and acquisitions improprieties can form a key part of transactions as cyber risks increase, industry and legal professionals said Thursday.
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April 10, 2025
6th Circ. Upholds No-Coverage Ruling For $13M Loss
Errors and omissions insurers for two Liberty Mutual units owe no coverage for the units' $13.3 million coverage payment to a motel operator found civilly liable for a woman's murder, the Sixth Circuit ruled Thursday, finding a settlement demand letter did not constitute a claim under the E&O policies.
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April 10, 2025
Manufacturer Says Insurers Owe $3.4M For Warehouse Theft
An anime merchandise manufacturer is seeking to recover over $3.4 million from its insurers for business personal property and business income that was lost after its warehouse was robbed, telling a California federal court that a majority of its claim hasn't been paid.
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April 10, 2025
Pet Insurer Exec Shares Insight On Double-Digit Growth
The pet insurance industry is experiencing large amounts of growth, both in policies purchased and the cost of premiums, a trend which Brian Jorgensen, the CEO of MetLife Pet Insurance, attributes to owners spending more time with their animals and veterinary costs, respectively. Here, Jorgensen chats with Law360 about the growing pet insurance market.
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April 10, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Insurers lost their subrogation bid over a ransomware attack against software company Blackbaud, carriers accused a California utility of causing one of this year's wildfires, Meta prevailed in an insurance coverage forum battle over numerous underlying injury claims, and the Ninth Circuit partially reversed a lower court's duty-to-defend decision.
Expert Analysis
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3 Pointers From Tilton Case To Help Win Advancement Suits
The Delaware Superior Court’s refusal to let Lynn Tilton sue her advancers for legal fees, ruling she had not yet attempted to negotiate in good faith, suggests that policyholders may fare better if they attempt proactive strategies to narrow disputes over advancement agreements before taking their insurers to court, says Evan Bolla at Harris St. Laurent.
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What Insurers Gain When Litigating Coverage Denials
Lately, insurance companies have denied coverage for lawsuits alleging liability relating to the ordinary operations of highly regulated businesses, such as those in the pharmaceutical and energy sectors — demonstrating time and again how litigation can be a vehicle for carriers to mitigate their own costs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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NY Wrongful Death Law Revamp Retains Original's Drawbacks
If approved by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Grieving Families Act will transform the landscape of wrongful death law in New York by increasing the potential for damages, raising insurance premiums, burdening hospitals and courts, stifling the economy and subjecting parties to the unsettling effects of retroactive legislation, say attorneys at Shaub Ahmuty.
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SEC, NY Cybersecurity Rules Create Complexity For Insurers
Two separate cybersecurity rules recently adopted by the New York Department of Financial Services and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pose distinct challenges for insurance industry participants, with important interactions, and potential tensions, for those required to comply with both frameworks, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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5 Trends To Watch In Property And Casualty Class Actions
In 2023, class action decisions have altered the landscape for five major types of claims affecting property and casualty insurers — total loss vehicle valuation, labor depreciation, other structural loss estimating theories, total loss vehicle tax and regulatory fees, and New Mexico's uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage sale requirements, say Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.
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Why Courts Are Nixing Insurer Defense Recoupment Claims
Following a recent trend, the Hawaii Supreme Court's decision in St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. v. Bodell Construction Co. provides a concise explanation of the argument that an insurer generally may not recoup costs for defending claims, based on three considerations, says Bradley Nash at Hoguet Newman.
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Insurer's '600-Lb. Life' Win Shows Why Fraud Suits Don't Stick
A Texas federal court’s recent ruling that Philadelphia Indemnity Co. did not fraudulently induce Megalomedia, the production company behind reality show “My 600-Lb. Life,” into purchasing insurance, demonstrates why a policyholder’s fraudulent inducement claim against an insurer will rarely succeed, says Robert Tugander at Rivkin Radler.
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Insurance Considerations For Cos. Assessing New AI Risks
Because no two businesses will have the same artificial intelligence risk profile, they should consider four broad risk categories as a baseline for taking a proactive approach to guarding against AI-related exposures, say attorneys at Hunton.
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AI Brings New Insurance Concerns For Healthcare Providers
As the healthcare industry increasingly invests in medical artificial intelligence tools, it confronts a variety of liability risks that necessitate careful consideration and potential recalibration of providers' insurance programs, say Marialuisa Gallozzi and Megan Mumford Myers at Covington.
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Superfund Site Reopenings Carry Insured Risk, Opportunity
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reported plans to reopen certain Superfund sites citing the presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances raise notable liability concerns, but may also present unique opportunities for policyholders under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, say attorneys at Haynes and Boone.
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3 AI Regulation Developments Insurers Must Follow
Insurance regulators continue to actively develop regulations and guidance on the use of artificial intelligence, so insurers should be aware of recent developments from the Colorado Division of Insurance, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the New York Department of Financial Services, say attorneys at Willkie.
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Harvard's Broker Fight Shows Active Risk Management Is Key
Harvard University’s recently filed suit against its insurance broker for alleged malpractice in handling the Students for Fair Admissions claim illustrates that risk management requires the concerted effort of policyholders, brokers and insurers to protect against disastrous losses, say William McMichael and David Klein at Pillsbury.
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Illinois Trump Tower Ruling Illuminates Insurance 'Occurrence'
In Continental Casualty v. 401 North Wabash Venture, an Illinois appellate court found that Trump Tower was not entitled to insurance coverage for operating its HVAC system without a permit, helping to further define a widely litigated general liability insurance issue — what constitutes an "occurrence," say Robert Tugander and Greg Mann at Rivkin Radler.