General Liability

  • May 10, 2024

    4th Circ. Tosses Driver's Allstate UIM Appeal As Untimely

    The Fourth Circuit dismissed a South Carolina woman's appeal seeking underinsured motorist coverage from Allstate for injuries she suffered in a car accident, finding Friday that the appellate court lacked jurisdiction over the issue because outstanding, competing claims in the action remained.

  • May 10, 2024

    Medical Device Co., Insurers Settle Equipment Damage Loss

    A medical device manufacturer and its insurers have settled their coverage dispute over the manufacturer's claim it suffered an "equipment breakdown loss" damaging its mills, lathes and vacuum pump, the insurers told a Florida federal court.

  • May 09, 2024

    10th Circ. Appeal May Expand Pollution Coverage In NM

    The Tenth Circuit will hear oral arguments May 20 to determine whether absolute pollution exclusions doom a New Mexico property owner's quest for $120,000 in defense coverage in a case attorneys say could determine the future of such environmental coverage in the state.

  • May 09, 2024

    REIT Says Insurers Must Cover Antitrust Conspiracy Claims

    A real estate investment trust accused its insurers of wrongfully denying coverage for an underlying multidistrict litigation alleging that the company was part of an antitrust conspiracy to inflate rents for multifamily housing, telling a Colorado federal court that the MDL falls plainly within multiple coverage parts of its policies.

  • May 09, 2024

    Syracuse Diocese Creditors Urge Contempt On Insurer Leaks

    Unsecured creditors of the bankrupt Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse have asked a New York judge to hold insurers Interstate and an affiliate of Allianz in contempt for sharing confidential sex abuse survivors' claim information with third parties and failing to inform the debtor or the court.

  • May 09, 2024

    Md. Insurance Chief On Keeping Up With AI Regulation

    The insurance industry is exploring artificial intelligence technology use in its business as regulators like Maryland Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Birrane work to keep up and protect consumers from the risks of the evolving technology. Here, Law360 checks in with Birrane on the subject.

  • May 09, 2024

    DEA Cannabis Proposal Likely To Keep Insurers Sidelined

    Federal drug enforcers' recent proposal to remove cannabis' designation as a high-risk drug with no accepted medical use could portend insurance benefits, but experts say uncertainties over the drug's mixed legal status will keep insurers sidelined for now.

  • May 09, 2024

    Insurer Still Can't Escape Explosion Coverage Row

    An insurer cannot yet avoid defending gas companies in personal injury litigation after a subcontractor caused an explosion injuring three people, an Indiana federal court has ruled, reiterating a previous finding that the subcontractor's ultimate release from liability following a settlement has no bearing on the gas companies' additional insured status.

  • May 09, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Michigan's top court mulled the effect of new liability coverage mandates on older auto policies, a group of insurers escaped arbitration in an airport terminal defect dispute, and South Carolina drivers were granted class certification in a suit over Progressive's total loss vehicle valuation methods.

  • May 09, 2024

    A Mother's Fight To Secure Insurance Benefits For Autism

    After Lorri Unumb's son was diagnosed with autism, she spent over a decade drafting and securing legislative mandates for autism insurance benefits across the country. With Mother's Day on May 12, Law360 spoke with Unumb about how for her, motherhood included a calling to advocate for autism therapy coverage.

  • May 08, 2024

    Chevron's $52M Iran Oil Seizure Loss Not Covered, Court Told

    Three insurers have told a California federal court they owe no coverage to Chevron under separate marine cargo and war risks policies after the oil giant said the Iranian military seized a vessel carrying nearly $52 million worth of Chevron's crude oil in retaliation for U.S. economic sanctions.

  • May 08, 2024

    No Reimbursement For $5.5M Crash Settlement, Insurer Says

    A highway construction company is not entitled to reimbursement for a $5.5 million settlement in an underlying suit over multiple motorcycle accidents that killed one and injured two others, a subcontractor's insurer has told a North Carolina federal court, saying the company does not qualify as an additional insured.

  • May 07, 2024

    Insurer Cites Discovery Law In Info Bid For Accident Claim

    A Canadian government-backed insurer is urging an Arizona court to force the state's Department of Transportation to provide documents or testimony in an arbitration stemming from an ex-professional soccer player's claim for damages after he was injured in a hit-and-run accident in Scottsdale in 2016.

  • May 07, 2024

    Insurer Seeks Hearing Cancellation In Arbitrator Bias Dispute

    An insurer seeking the removal of an arbitrator in a Bermuda reinsurance coverage dispute told the Second Circuit on Tuesday that a hearing on the issue should be canceled as an award was issued in the arbitration, rendering the dispute moot.

  • May 06, 2024

    Meet The Attys For NC Insurance Mogul Facing Bribery Retrial

    Nearly two years after the Fourth Circuit exonerated Greg E. Lindberg on bribery and wire fraud charges, a team of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP partners with prosecution experience has joined forces with prominent white collar defense lawyer James F. Wyatt lll in hopes of staving off a second conviction for the embattled insurance tycoon.

  • May 06, 2024

    AIG Unit Will Arbitrate $20M Botched Tunnel Project Claims

    An AIG unit agreed to go to arbitration with a Michigan county's water resources agency and sewage disposal system over their claims they incurred more than $20 million in damages due to a design contractor's faulty work on a tunnel project.

  • May 03, 2024

    Mich. Justices Reject Agency's 'Secret' Meeting Settlement

    The Michigan Supreme Court said Friday that a county road commission's settlement with three of its insurers over a coverage dispute was not binding because the commission — a public body — never voted to approve it in a public meeting.

  • May 03, 2024

    How Big IP Judgment Winners Are Insuring 'Nuclear Verdicts'

    Until a few years ago, intellectual property plaintiffs who scored large monetary awards — often referred to as "nuclear verdicts" — had to wait out a lengthy appellate process before knowing how much money they would end up with. But a relatively new type of insurance policy is allowing plaintiffs to insure part of their judgment in case it gets reduced or wiped out on appeal. 

  • May 03, 2024

    Colo. Justices' Med Mal Cap Ruling A Win For Patients

    The Colorado Supreme Court's recent decision prohibiting trial courts from considering an injured patient's insurance liabilities before imposing the state's $1 million medical malpractice damages cap was the right call, experts say, and prevents an unfair windfall for negligent health care providers.

  • May 02, 2024

    Farmers Face Uphill Fight In 5th Circ. Silo Coverage Row

    A Texas farming cooperative faces an uphill battle in persuading the Fifth Circuit to undo a ruling that denied it coverage for a $1.3 million arbitration award for construction defects in their grain silos, experts told Law360.

  • May 02, 2024

    Insurers Are Covering Litigation Funders. Will It Catch On?

    Insurers have started to cover losses from a third-party litigation funder's portfolio of plaintiff-side investments, experts tell Law360, calling into question the insurance industry's broader position that third-party litigation finance hikes carriers' litigation costs, thus requiring them to raise premiums for consumers.

  • May 02, 2024

    Coral Bleaching Highlights Value Of Reef Insurance

    An ongoing bleaching event expected to weaken coral reefs worldwide should emphasize the importance of novel insurance products in helping to restore critical marine life following major storms, climate and insurance experts say.

  • May 02, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A treasure hunter got no coverage for his thwarted quest, LexisNexis was sued again for spying on drivers, a fatal drag race had its win reversed, a Chicago general contractor split the Seventh Circuit, and the Fifth Circuit wondered if a healthcare company's mistake was a claim. Here, Law360 takes a look at this week's top insurance news.

  • May 02, 2024

    Atty In $119M Bad Faith Win Seeks Justice In And Out Of Court

    Policyholder attorney Benjamin W. Massarsky of Miller Friel is part of a team that won over $119 million from insurers in a case thought to have garnered among the largest bad faith wins in the past 30 years. He also works pro bono to fight for accommodations for students with disabilities. Here, he shares where his passions for justice converge.

  • May 02, 2024

    2nd Circ. To Weigh Court's Role In Bermuda Arbitration Row

    The Second Circuit will review Wednesday whether a New York federal court has the authority to remove an allegedly biased arbitrator in a Bermuda reinsurance arbitration, addressing the question of the federal court's limited role in international arbitration. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of oral arguments.

Expert Analysis

  • NY Ruling Should Make Counsel More Cautious In Emails

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    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.

  • 5th Circ. Data Hack Ruling May Increase Privacy Litigation

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    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.

  • NY Asbestos Ruling Could Change Insurers' Approach

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    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.

  • An Insurer's Guide To Policyholder Bankruptcy

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    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.

  • Insurance Language Lesson From An Opioid Ruling

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    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.

  • 3 Risk Management Lessons From Pandemic Insurance Wars

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    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.

  • Ill. BIPA Ruling Marks Critical Win For Silent Cyber Coverage

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    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.

  • NY Badly Needs Bad Faith Bill To Hold Insurers Accountable

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    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.

  • When Your 9th Circ. Case Needs California High Court Input

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    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.

  • Cos. Should Review Insurance Policies For PFAS Coverage

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    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.

  • Insurance Ruling Clarifies Excess Coverage For Opioid Suits

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    A Pennsylvania federal court's ruling this week in Giant Eagle v. American Guarantee Insurance, reversing an earlier finding that two excess insurers had duties to defend opioid injury suits, provides invaluable assurance to excess carriers that opioid defendants can’t use immense defense costs as a basis to leapfrog their primary coverage, says Adam Fleischer at BatesCarey.

  • Indoor Air Pollution Fix Will Require New Laws, New Tech

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    The COVID-19 pandemic, an aging population and changing workplace dynamics all foretell more exposure to indoor air pollutants, so a multidisciplinary policy approach combining technology, insurance, funding and regulation will be needed to improve indoor air quality and health, says Ann Al-Bahish at Haynes and Boone.

  • Cannabis Legalization's Effects On Insurance Industry

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    Resolution of the legal uncertainty presented by the dueling federal and state approaches to cannabis will pave the way for legal cannabis businesses to access the insurance protections the industry needs for everything from workers' compensation to auto insurance to general liability, says Christy Thiems at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.