Property

  • February 23, 2024

    La. Hotel Owner Must Arbitrate Hurricane Ida Damage Claims

    A Louisiana federal judge has ordered the owner of an extended-stay hotel near New Orleans to go to arbitration with a group of insurers over coverage for damage caused by Hurricane Ida, finding that the policy under dispute contains a valid arbitral clause.

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • February 23, 2024

    Travelers Can't Duck Payout In Warehouse Fire Reversal

    A New York federal court has rejected Travelers' bid for additional discovery in a coverage dispute involving a textile importer whose goods were destroyed in a warehouse fire, after the Second Circuit vacated the insurer's early win in December and remanded for a judgment in the importer's favor.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • February 23, 2024

    Judge Reverses Self, Says Hurricane Ad Suit Should Continue

    Reversing her earlier decision, a federal magistrate judge has issued a preliminary ruling in favor of a woman who alleges that troubled Houston law firm McClenny Moseley & Associates PLLC and associated companies bombarded Louisiana hurricane victims with illegal marketing.

  • February 23, 2024

    Trade Group Tells NC Justices COVID-19 Losses Not Covered

    A dozen North Carolina eateries are not owed coverage for pandemic-related losses, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association told the state's highest court, saying the policies at issue were never intended to cover economic damages "untethered" to physical loss or damage.

  • 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.

  • February 22, 2024

    ATV Accident Coverage Win Remanded Over Kid's Residency

    A Missouri appeals court remanded a lower court's decision over whether a father's farm insurance covered the $1 million in damages inflicted on his daughter after an ATV accident, saying that the central question of whether the child resided at her father's home or at his ex-wife's was still unresolved.

  • February 21, 2024

    Nationwide Says Walmart Should Pay NY Humidifier Fire Costs

    Walmart should pay for a $165,000 blaze ignited by a humidifier it sold to a Long Island, New York, woman, Nationwide told a New York federal court Wednesday.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • February 20, 2024

    Eateries' Virus Losses Not Covered, Insurer Tells NC Justices

    Cincinnati Insurance Co. urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to affirm its win in a dispute with more than a dozen eateries over coverage for pandemic-related losses, saying government shutdown orders do not constitute direct physical loss or damage required to trigger coverage.

  • 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.

  • February 16, 2024

    4th Circ. Won't Revive Car Dealer's Hurricane Coverage Suit

    The Fourth Circuit declined to revive a South Carolina car dealership's lawsuit seeking coverage from an AIG unit for losses the business sustained from Hurricane Dorian in 2019, agreeing with a district court that there was no link between a government evacuation order and physical damage that would warrant civil authority coverage.

  • February 16, 2024

    Condo Co., Insurer Settle Proposed Class Action Coverage

    A Miami condominium, its former management company and various insurers agreed to settle coverage for a proposed class action accusing the condominium companies of allowing the building to deteriorate, a Florida federal judge said Friday, staying the coverage litigation while the parties finalize the deal.

  • 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.

  • February 15, 2024

    No Coverage For Pandemic Losses, NY Top Court Rules

    A Texas-based restaurant operator isn't entitled to insurance coverage for its pandemic losses, New York's top court ruled Thursday, saying the operator didn't allege the kind of physical loss or damage required for coverage.

  • February 15, 2024

    Second Carrier Seeks To Toss Four Seasons Coverage Row

    A subcontractor's insurer joined another carrier in urging a New York federal court to dismiss a general contractor's lawsuit seeking coverage in a $1 million underlying action over damage to a Four Seasons hotel in midtown Manhattan, arguing that the faulty workmanship claims don't constitute an occurrence under its policy.

  • February 15, 2024

    Zurich Owes $554K Over Faulty Construction Work, Erie Says

    Erie Insurance Co. told a D.C. federal court Thursday that a Zurich unit wrongly denied coverage to Erie-insured subcontractors for over $554,000 in damage stemming from faulty work at a government agency renovation project, arguing Zurich has cited the wrong coverage form to deny liability.

  • February 15, 2024

    9th Circ. Backs Homeowners' Cert. In Allstate Overcharge Suit

    Allstate will have to face a class action accusing it of artificially inflating home insurance premiums for thousands of California properties by double-counting built-in garage space, a Ninth Circuit panel ruled, affirming a lower court's decision.

  • February 14, 2024

    Fla. Condo Says Chubb Unit Stalled On $7M Storm Claim

    A Florida Keys condominium has sued a Chubb unit over coverage related to $7.3 million worth of damage sustained during a 2017 hurricane, saying the company breached "industry standards" by dragging its feet on a claim and issued an amount less than what was needed for repairs.

  • February 14, 2024

    Contractor Owes $13M To Cover Virus Defaults, Insurer Says

    A Michigan-based insurer asked a Florida federal court Wednesday to grant a default final judgment in its indemnification suit against a contractor, seeking to force the company to cough up nearly $13 million to reimburse payments against its surety bonds and protect the insurer from future claims.

Expert Analysis

  • Pa. Ruling Leaves Auto Policy Stacking Questions

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    Following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's recent decision in Donovan v. State Farm, implicitly confirming the validity of a household vehicle auto policy exclusion with a proper inter-policy stacking waiver, it is unclear what the court expects insurers to do about stacking waivers, say Christopher Woodward and Allison Krupp at Marshall Dennehey.

  • Cyber Rulings Aren't Helping COVID Biz Interruption Cases

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    Where policyholders have recently tried to draw comparison between the loss of property use from a COVID-19 shutdown order and the loss of data use from a ransomware attack, they have found courts unsympathetic to these arguments for business interruption insurance coverage, say Jane Warring and Kristian Smith at Zelle.

  • Insurance Commissioner's Agenda: NY On Industry Diversity

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    My Chi To, executive deputy superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services Insurance Division, discusses steps her agency is taking to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the insurance industry and suggests practices for companies to consider adopting.

  • How Dealmakers Can Bridge M&A Differences In US, Europe

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    As business continues to heat up globally, differing practices and norms in mergers and acquisitions can lead to misunderstandings between U.S. and European dealmakers, but a comparison of documentation structures and processes can help avert these complications, say Piotr Korzynski and Piotr Jaskiewicz at Baker McKenzie.

  • Insurance Considerations Amid Increased Use Of Drones

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    The growing use and rapidly evolving regulation of drone technology across industries raise tricky insurance coverage questions and increase exposure to third-party liability and first-party loss, say attorneys at Covington & Burling.

  • 9th Circ. COVID Coverage Ruling Misapplies Burden Of Proof

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    The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Mudpie v. Travelers Casualty Insurance, dismissing a COVID-19 insurance coverage claim, incorrectly applied the burden of proof to the policyholder instead of the insurer, disregarding the crucial differences between third-party liability and first-party all-risks insurance policies, says Lee Epstein at Flaster Greenberg.

  • No Signs Of Turning, Tide Of Insurer COVID Wins Persists

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    The trend of COVID-19 business interruption decisions favoring insurers continues to hold strong — any commentary to the contrary is striking a narrative that is not borne out by reality, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • How Law Firms Can Rethink Offices In A Post-Pandemic World

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    Based on their own firm's experiences, Kami Quinn and Adam Farra at Gilbert discuss strategies and unique legal industry considerations for law firms planning hybrid models of remote and in-office work in a post-COVID marketplace.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Aids Policyholder Deductible Calculations

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    In its recent McDonnel Group v. Starr Surplus Lines Insurance decision, the Fifth Circuit held that the policy's flood deductible language was ambiguous, providing a win for policyholders and a helpful mathematical interpretation for insureds with similar deductible language in their property insurance policies, says Tae Andrews at Miller Friel.

  • COVID-19 Offers Cautionary Tales On Hospitality Contracts

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    Hotel owners should look closely at the agreements that govern hotel investment and operation to learn lessons from the pandemic and to protect against such vulnerability in the future with force majeure clauses and other provisions, say Anthony Cavanaugh and Jiah Park at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • What Mainstreaming Of Litigation Finance Means For Industry

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    The rush of new capital and investors into the litigation funding space is expected to bring heightened competition on price and other key deal terms, but litigants will need to be more in tune with individual financiers' proclivities, says William Weisman at Therium Capital Management.

  • After Ida, A Look At Sandy's Flood Insurance Lessons

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    The flood insurance experience gained in connection with Superstorm Sandy can offer valuable lessons to those that have suffered a flood loss from the recent Hurricane Ida, and can guide others before and after the next storm, say Lee Epstein and Matthew Goldstein at Flaster Greenberg.

  • Federal Courts Make 2 Basic Errors In Virus Coverage Rulings

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    Many federal courts deciding dispositive motions in COVID-19 business interruption coverage cases are neglecting fundamental precepts of civil procedure by acting as fact-finders or failing to defer to forum state decisions, say attorneys at Hunton.

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