General Liability

  • May 02, 2024

    Insurance Industry Still Navigating Risks Created By Dobbs

    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade has prompted new insurance policy offerings for healthcare providers and legislation to protect medical malpractice coverage in some states, with additional risks beyond the initial threat of litigation on the horizon, experts say.

  • May 02, 2024

    Sills Cummis Adds Pillsbury Atty As Insurance Group Leader

    Sills Cummis & Gross PC has added an experienced insurance attorney from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP as a leader of two of its insurance groups.

  • April 30, 2024

    No Coverage For Foundation's Counsel In IP Row, Judge Says

    A Kansas federal court tossed two counterclaims a Kansas State University-affiliated philanthropy lodged against its insurer over coverage for a man's claims that it stole his economic development ideas for the university, finding the insurer has no duty to pay for the philanthropy's own choice of counsel.

  • April 29, 2024

    5th Circ. Ponders If There Were Claims In 'Patient Mistake' Suit

    If an insurer says there's no claim, might a claim still have been made, a skeptical Fifth Circuit panel pondered at oral arguments Monday, considering whether a healthcare company's settlement paid for mistakenly approving out-of-state treatment of a Florida Medicaid patient was covered by insurance.

  • April 29, 2024

    Split 7th Circ. Clears Insurers In O'Hare Steel Defect Fight

    A split Seventh Circuit affirmed Monday a finding that the Chicago O'Hare International Airport canopy's general contractor can't recoup more than $37.5 million in costs from its insurer over cracked welds in the canopy, finding that the defects in the welds and columns don't constitute property damage under its insurance policies.

  • April 29, 2024

    NC Justices Urged To Rethink Policy 'Stacking' Limits

    A policyholder is urging the North Carolina Supreme Court to walk back a decision that he says will negate insurance coverage when drivers at fault for wrecks are underinsured, arguing the holding conflicts with precedent.

  • April 26, 2024

    5th Circ. Reverses Coverage For Fatal Race Accident Suit

    An insurer doesn't have to defend the organizers of an amateur drag racing event against underlying negligence claims stemming from a fatal car crash, the Fifth Circuit ruled Friday, reversing a lower court's decision and determining that a commercial general liability policy was not ambiguous.

  • April 26, 2024

    Insurers Say BASF Can't Seek Same PFAS Coverage In 3 Suits

    BASF Corp.'s insurers have said a South Carolina federal court lacked jurisdiction and should toss the chemical manufacturer's case in favor of similar New Jersey state litigation seeking coverage for thousands of underlying allegations that a substance made for firefighting foam caused pollution and injury.

  • April 26, 2024

    The Week In Trump: Tabloid Testimony, High Court Drama

    Donald Trump and his attorneys have been fighting high-stakes legal battles on several fronts as they grappled with a criminal hush money trial in Manhattan, argued at the U.S. Supreme Court for presidential immunity and tried to quash criminal election interference-related charges in Georgia.

  • April 25, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A New York state panel partially revived Chubb's coverage dispute with an archdiocese over underlying sexual abuse claims, Ralph Lauren got the green light to pursue its appeal for coverage of damages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and former President Donald Trump solidified a $175 million bond.

  • April 25, 2024

    Driving Data Suits Highlight Auto Privacy, Insurance Risks

    A spate of suits charging General Motors with harvesting driver data without permission and sharing it with data broker LexisNexis Risk Solutions highlights policyholder privacy risks and erosion of trust over extensive auto data collection, experts told Law360.

  • April 25, 2024

    5th Circ. May Ponder If Threats Are Claims In Healthcare Suit

    The Fifth Circuit will review Monday if a healthcare company is covered for a more than $200,000 settlement over mistakenly approving out-of-state treatment for a Florida Medicaid patient, with the case potentially hinging on whether a letter threatening litigation against another party constitutes a claim. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of oral arguments.

  • April 25, 2024

    Fla. High Court Says PIP Law Doesn't Mandate 100% Payment

    The Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Allstate Insurance Co. is not required to pay 100% of a chiropractic provider's charges under a personal injury protection policy, saying to enact such a requirement would misread both Florida's PIP law and Allstate's policy.

  • April 25, 2024

    New PFAS Rules Portend More Insurance, Superfund Suits

    New rules from the Environmental Protection Agency designating as hazardous so-called forever chemicals, and limiting those toxic chemicals in water supplies, are likely to contribute to a wave of insurance litigation over liabilities, while potentially posing new coverage implications for companies involved in Superfund sites.

  • April 25, 2024

    Emotional Damages Not Covered In OD Suit, Pa. Justices Rule

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has reversed a lower court's ruling that a Nationwide unit had a duty to defend two homeowners in a suit over a man's fatal overdose under their roof, holding Thursday that underlying emotional distress damages don't fall within the policy's definition of bodily injury.

  • April 25, 2024

    Insurance Backs Up College Athletes About To Turn Pro

    As the NFL draft begins, experts tell Law360 how changing circumstances make it ever more important for athletes transitioning from the college to professional level to secure insurance coverage, should an injury derail a pro career.

  • April 24, 2024

    Insurer Wants Other Carrier's Third-Party Coverage Suit Axed

    An insurer asked a Colorado federal court to toss Acuity's third-party suit alleging breach of contract in a coverage dispute over a construction defect arbitration proceeding, saying the claim failed because there is no privity of contract between the two carriers.

  • April 24, 2024

    Insurer Can't Raise Neglect Row To High Court, Patient Says

    An Arizona patient who won $1.5 million on negligence claims against a skilled nursing facility urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a petition from the facility's insurer seeking to arbitrate the patient's garnishment action, arguing the Ninth Circuit already decided the issue.

  • April 23, 2024

    NY Panel Partially Revives Chubb, Archdiocese Abuse Row

    A New York state appeals court partially revived Chubb's coverage dispute stemming from sexual abuse claims brought against the Archdiocese of New York, finding Tuesday that a trial court incorrectly based its dismissal on underlying allegations rather than the present action.

  • April 22, 2024

    Colo. Justices Clarify Med Mal Damages Cap Calculation

    The Colorado Supreme Court held Monday that a trial court can't consider a victorious medical malpractice plaintiff's insurance liabilities to statutorily cap his award at $1 million, saying an exception to the state's "collateral source" statute bars application.

  • April 22, 2024

    Ill. Panel Relieves Insurer Of $8.3M Cracker Caper Judgment

    An insurer was relieved of covering a dispute between cracker manufacturers, an Illinois state appeals panel affirmed, finding allegations of equipment theft that led to an $8.3 million judgment against Distinctive Foods LLC constituted non-covered intentional interference with RyKrisp LLC.

  • April 19, 2024

    CORRECTED: Fla. Jury Says AIG Mishandled Claim For Irma Damage

    A Florida federal jury on Friday found that AIG mishandled part of the claims process for damage from Hurricane Irma to a $95 million oceanfront mansion near Miami but declined to award punitive damages against the insurer.

  • April 19, 2024

    Mich. Judge Says $12K Fee Spat 'Tremendous Waste Of Time'

    A Michigan federal judge on Friday urged attorneys in a slip-and-fall suit to figure out a $12,000 fee dispute soon or risk having to spend a day in person with him in a conference with their clients, something he joked that "nobody ever wants to do."

  • April 19, 2024

    The Week In Trump: NY Trial And A High Court Date Loom

    Despite a few snags, jury selection for Donald Trump's hush money trial in Manhattan unfolded relatively quickly, clearing the way for opening statements Monday in the historic case as the former president prepped for a U.S. Supreme Court debate over his supposed immunity.

  • April 18, 2024

    Justices' Corporate Disclosure Ruling Dodges D&O Upheaval

    A U.S. Supreme Court decision that limited when securities fraud claims can be brought for a failure to disclose information relieved policyholder experts, who told Law360 that the justices avoided major consequences for directors and officers policies.

Expert Analysis

  • Biden Admin.'s Climate Strategy Should Include Insurance Innovations

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    To successfully meet the Biden administration's climate-related goals, the federal government must fill gaps in state regulation of environmental insurance, and help create an insurance framework that incentivizes and facilitates carbon impact reduction in four key areas, say Michael Hill and Paul Tetenbaum at Blue Dot Climate Insurance.

  • Where Health Care Enforcement Is Headed Under Biden

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    Early actions by President Joe Biden's administration signal a robust health care enforcement environment in which federal agencies will aggressively scrutinize pandemic-related and Medicare Advantage fraud, nursing homes, and medical technology, and False Claims Act activity will likely increase, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Key Considerations For Litigation Settlement Trustees

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    Robert Weiss and David Vanaskey at Wilmington Trust describe some of the core considerations for trustees that administer settlements resulting from mass tort and class action litigation, based on their experience working on the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement.

  • 3 Key Environmental Takeaways From Biden's First 30 Days

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    President Joe Biden has heavily prioritized environmental policy during his first month in office, with three key themes emerging that will immediately change enforcement practices and affect regulated industries, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • What Airports Need To Know About PFAS Risks

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    As Congress, federal regulators and litigants express increasing concern over the dangers of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, airports are in the spotlight as likely sites of PFAS contamination — so airport management and boards should take steps now to prepare for regulation and litigation, say Renée Martin-Nagle and David Rockman at Eckert Seamans.

  • Time For Cos. To Walk The Walk On Environmental Justice

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    With the Biden administration pledging to consider environmental justice across all agencies and in all federal decisions, companies must candidly assess their operations in order to make sure their statements on environmental justice are backed by measurable results, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Economic Loss Is Key To Pandemic Insurance Suits

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    Decades of case law distinguishing between economic loss and property damage may support commercial property insurance policyholders in litigation with insurers who argue that COVID-19-related losses do not constitute physical damage, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes and Boone.

  • State AGs' 2020 Actions Offer Hints At 2021 Priorities

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    A review of state attorney general actions in 2020 addressing consumer concerns including data privacy, product safety and marketplace competition can help companies prepare for the expected regulatory enforcement wave in 2021, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • 10 Most Significant Insurance Coverage Decisions Of 2020

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    Though COVID-19 was unquestionably the biggest insurance story of 2020, the most noteworthy decisions of the year had definitive impact on issues like injury-in-fact triggers and concurrent causation, says Randy Maniloff at White and Williams LLP.

  • 5 Major Drug And Medical Device Developments In 2020

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    In addition to the increased activity and scrutiny COVID-19 brought to the drug and device industries in 2020, major developments included the continued momentum of snap removal and renewed U.S. Supreme Court interest in the scope of state courts' jurisdiction, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Actions Cos. Can Take Now To Address Microplastics Risk

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    Recent reports on the prevalence of microplastics in the environment underscore potential liabilities companies may face in relation to this emerging contaminant, and the importance of acting now to manage risks while the science and regulations are still evolving, say Shannon Broome and Dan Grucza at Hunton and David Gratson at Environmental Standards.

  • The State Of Consumer Class Actions Amid COVID-19

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    While the pandemic has slowed the filing of consumer class actions, they remain a significant part of the litigation landscape — with false labeling claims remaining particularly popular, likely because they are easy to file and frequently survive motions to dismiss, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Courts Are Not Confused About Opioid Insurance Suits

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    Although a recent Law360 guest article claimed that confusion has seeped into decisions concerning insurance coverage for opioid lawsuits, courts have addressed the issue clearly and consistently in holding that commercial general liability policies cover the defense of such cases, say attorneys at Miller Friel.