General Liability
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February 28, 2024
3rd Circ. Won't Rehear Pfizer Shareholder Suit Coverage Row
Pfizer won't get a second shot at arguing its insurer should indemnify it in a settlement stemming from a 2003 shareholder class action, with the Third Circuit on Wednesday declining the pharmaceutical company's request for an en banc rehearing.
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February 27, 2024
Company Escapes Coverage Row Over Lethal Ammonia Leak
A contractor's affiliate whose employee died in an ammonia leak at a North Carolina cold storage facility needn't face claims stemming from the accident, the North Carolina Business Court said in a lawsuit originally brought against three insurers and others over coverage for the leak.
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February 27, 2024
Insurer Misled Lockheed On Contamination Suit, Court Told
Lockheed Martin has told a Maryland federal court that its insurer "lured" it into believing for months that it would defend the company against claims that Lockheed's release of various toxic substances contaminated property and injured individuals near its Orlando, Florida, weapons manufacturing facility.
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February 27, 2024
3rd Circ. Won't Reconsider Coverage Ruling For Deli Stabbing
The Third Circuit declined to review its decision that an insurer for a Philadelphia deli does not owe coverage for a $900,000 settlement reached with a man stabbed on the premises.
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February 26, 2024
Atty's Letter Is Not A Claim For Damages, Del. Justices Rule
An attorney's presuit letter claiming that Syngenta's herbicide Paraquat caused his clients' Parkinson's disease does not constitute a "claim for damages" under the company's insurance policies with a pair of Zurich units, the Delaware Supreme Court ruled Monday.
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February 26, 2024
Colo. Justices To Hear If Insurers Can Withhold Some Payouts
The Colorado Supreme Court said Monday it will consider whether the state's insurance code allowed Geico, following unsuccessful settlement attempts, to refuse paying noneconomic damages to a policyholder for his underinsured motorist claim, given what Geico said is the "inherently subjective" nature of such damages.
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February 26, 2024
Liberty Cuts Off Drivers' Rentals Too Soon, Suit Claims
Liberty Mutual systematically and arbitrarily ends replacement transportation coverage after seven days for policyholders whose vehicles are totaled in collisions, in violation of its own policy language, a proposed class action alleges.
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February 26, 2024
Texas Justices Say $220M Cobalt Deal Is A Loss Under Policy
A $220 million settlement that now-bankrupt Cobalt International Energy Inc. reached with a group of investors constitutes a loss under the energy company's insurance policies, but the agreement is not binding on Cobalt's insurers to establish coverage, the Texas Supreme Court ruled.
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February 23, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
From maritime contracts’ choice-of-law provisions to a question on how far an agency can steer companies from contracting with controversial groups, the past week saw two insurance-related cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, plus litigation over a mass shooting and a casino operator’s claims that its “unique” policy covers pandemic losses. Here, Law360 recaps the week's top insurance news.
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February 23, 2024
The New BIPA? Attys Warn GIPA Is A 'Live Grenade'
After notable appellate victories in biometric privacy cases, Illinois plaintiffs have seized upon a previously little-used law protecting workers' genetic privacy, leaving defense attorneys wondering if history will repeat itself and open companies to potentially explosive liability.
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February 26, 2024
New York Pandemic Coverage Ruling Offers Few Surprises
Businesses seeking insurance coverage for their pandemic losses were dealt yet another loss recently by New York's top court, a ruling that didn't surprise attorneys watching to see whether the Empire State might buck the trend of carrier victories.
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February 23, 2024
Insurance M&A Partner From Sidley Joins Kirkland
Kirkland & Ellis LLP has added a corporate partner in its insurance transactions and regulatory and financial institutions practice groups, bringing on a former Sidley Austin LLP attorney who said he "couldn't be more excited" to join the firm's Chicago office.
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February 23, 2024
Agent Didn't Owe Mich. Co. Coverage Advice, Panel Says
An insurance agent did not have a duty to advise a business that was damaged in a 2020 dam collapse that its insurance coverage might be inadequate, a Michigan state appeals court ruled, finding there is no special relationship between the parties that triggered that responsibility.
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February 26, 2024
Justices' Maritime Insurance Ruling Retains Tilted Status Quo
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that an insurer can enforce choice-of-law provisions in a marine insurance policy it issued to the owner of a yacht that ran aground, it upheld existing practices that give insurers the upper hand over policyholders.
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February 21, 2024
Fatal Crash Payout Flouts Insurance Law, NC Justices Told
North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance urged the state Supreme Court on Wednesday to undo a trial court's decision that it owes $50,000 to a policyholder whose car caused a fatal wreck, arguing that his liabilities didn't trigger underinsured motorist coverage.
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February 21, 2024
NC Justices Hint At Coverage For Firm's Driver Privacy Row
The North Carolina Supreme Court seemed skeptical Wednesday of an insurer's contention that mailers sent by a law firm to car crash victims based on public accident reports couldn't be considered coverage-triggering publication of material that violates a person's right to privacy.
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February 21, 2024
5th Circ. Affirms Subrogation Loss In Fieldwood Energy Sale
The Fifth Circuit has ruled that a group of insurers that issued surety bonds to bankrupt Fieldwood Energy in a sale of its assets are not entitled to subrogation rights because the bankruptcy court's order stripping their rights could not be challenged under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, a protection that limits appellate review of an approved sale.
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February 21, 2024
Uber Says Insurers Failed To Cover Dozens Of Injury Suits
Uber's insurers failed to live up to their obligations to defend the company and its for-hire drivers in dozens of personal injury lawsuits, the ride-hailing giant claims in two suits filed in New York federal court, saying that the companies' conduct had a negative impact on thousands of New York City drivers.
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February 21, 2024
No Property Coverage For Maui Wildfire, Insurer Says
A condominium association and its property manager have no coverage for property damage claims stemming from the 2023 Maui wildfires, their insurer told a Hawaii federal court, arguing that a property damage exclusion in their errors and omissions policy wholly bars coverage.
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February 20, 2024
Casinos Say 'Unique' Policy Should Cover $130M COVID Loss
A casino operator with properties on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond told a Nevada federal court that its "unique" all-risk insurance is the broadest available coverage and should pay for $130 million in business interruption losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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February 20, 2024
Policyholder Attys Say Firm's Mailer Row Merits Coverage
The North Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday over whether a law firm accused of violating the Driver's Privacy Protection Act by using personal information to market legal services to crash victims is entitled to coverage under an excess policy, as policyholder attorneys anticipate a win for the firm. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of the hearing.
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February 20, 2024
Insurers Say Pollution Exclusion Bars Cancer Suits Defense
An oil company accused of causing four people to develop cancer through exposure to harmful chemicals should not have coverage for its defense of the claims, according to four Nationwide units that told an Illinois federal court the company has no pollution coverage.
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February 16, 2024
State Farm 'Bad Deal' Can't Save Policyholders' Suit
The Tenth Circuit on Friday refused to revive a proposed class action accusing State Farm of illegally denying full uninsured motorist coverage for policyholders, relatives and passengers, saying that the insurer may have sold them a "bad deal" but that they agreed to it.
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February 16, 2024
Barge Co., Insurer End Pollution Cleanup Coverage Fight
A Washington barge company and its insurer reached an agreement in a dispute over coverage of legal expenses stemming from claims that the company was liable for environmental pollution at an EPA cleanup site, according to a notice filed in Washington federal court.
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February 15, 2024
Damaged Champagne Cargo Row Can Proceed, Judge Says
A New Jersey federal judge preserved the majority of a $930,000 coverage dispute over a damaged champagne shipment Thursday, denying a logistics company's bid for dismissal while giving an insurer the opportunity to put forth an alternate pleading.
Expert Analysis
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Embracing ESG: AIG Counsel Talks SEC Risk Alert
As the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission responds to the changing landscape on environmental, social and corporate governance investing, including with its recent risk alert, it is imperative that the regulator take a measured approach, says Kate Fuentes at AIG.
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Insurance Commissioner's Agenda: Wis. Tackles Climate Risk
Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Mark Afable talks about educating consumers on potential climate-risk coverage gaps and mitigation efforts, and encouraging insurers to recognize the latter in underwriting, in the face of increasingly frequent and severe weather disasters.
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Insurer Considerations For Post-Pandemic Virtual Mediation
To determine whether to continue engaging in virtual mediations after the pandemic ends, insurers should weigh the format's challenges against its benefits, including decreased hostility between parties, time and cost, and increased client participation, say Jennifer Gibbs and Amanda Rodriguez at Zelle.
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NY Ruling Should Make Counsel More Cautious In Emails
A recent New York Appellate Division decision, Philadelphia Insurance v. Kendall, makes it much more likely that a settlement could be effectuated by simple email exchanges without more formal written documentation memorializing all the terms of the settlement, says Christopher Gorman at Abrams Fensterman.
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5th Circ. Data Hack Ruling May Increase Privacy Litigation
The recent Fifth Circuit decision in Landry’s v. Insurance Co. of the State of Pennsylvania, holding that an insurance carrier had a duty to defend a claim arising out of a data breach, could have the unfortunate effect of triggering more personal and advertising injury litigation, say Joshua Mooney and Judy Selby at Kennedys.
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NY Asbestos Ruling Could Change Insurers' Approach
A New York court's recent ruling that Liberty Mutual had to pay 100% of all settlements against its bankrupt and dissolved insured, Jenkins Bros., even though its policies were in force for only part of the asbestos exposure should make insurers think twice before looking to shed some of their asbestos coverage obligations, says John Koch at Flaster Greenberg.
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An Insurer's Guide To Policyholder Bankruptcy
Given the increased likelihood of policyholders filing bankruptcy petitions in the wake of the pandemic, insurance professionals must be aware of five basic principles when dealing with an insured in bankruptcy, says Eric Fitzgerald at Goldberg Segalla.
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Insurance Language Lesson From An Opioid Ruling
A Kentucky federal court's recent decision that the words “because of bodily injury” did not require insurer Motorists Mutual to defend drug company Quest against damages caused by the opioid epidemic provides lessons beyond the opioid context about seeking injury definitions that may be construed to provide broader coverage, say Vivian Bickford and Caroline Meneau at Jenner & Block.
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3 Risk Management Lessons From Pandemic Insurance Wars
As appellate decisions in COVID-19 business interruption insurance claims continue to clarify the state of the law, there are some things that policyholders' lawyers and risk managers can do in the meantime to help prepare for future unforeseen events affecting coverage, says Peter Halprin at Pasich.
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Ill. BIPA Ruling Marks Critical Win For Silent Cyber Coverage
The Illinois Supreme Court's recent decision in West Bend Mutual v. Krishna Schaumburg Tan, confirming that commercial general liability policies do not have to include specific language to cover claims under the Biometric Information Privacy Act, represents a critical victory for policyholders, but leaves unresolved issues in the battle over BIPA coverage, says Tae Andrews at Miller Friel.
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NY Badly Needs Bad Faith Bill To Hold Insurers Accountable
Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article that contends New York state's insurance reform bill would unfairly tip the scales against insurers, Edward Steinberg at the New York State Trial Lawyers Association argues the law is necessary to hold insurers accountable for acting in bad faith, and would protect policyholders and injured parties alike.
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When Your 9th Circ. Case Needs California High Court Input
With the Ninth Circuit increasingly certifying state law questions to the California Supreme Court, litigants should pay careful attention to the rules for ancillary proceedings, study recent issues the state high court decided on certification, and consider strategic options, say attorneys at Buchalter.
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Cos. Should Review Insurance Policies For PFAS Coverage
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s creation of a council on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances signals the federal government's intent to accelerate PFAS-related regulatory action and enforcement — so companies with relevant liabilities must understand what their insurance policies will and won’t cover, say attorneys at Lathrop GPM.