Property

  • August 29, 2024

    Panel Tosses Insurer Dispute Over Drowning Death Coverage

    It's too early to determine whether Farmers Insurance Exchange and Cincinnati Insurance Co. must both provide excess coverage to a property manager facing potential liability for a drowning, a Texas state appeals court ruled Thursday, finding the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction.

  • August 29, 2024

    DOJ Whistleblower Program Could Prompt D&O Policy Review

    The U.S. Department of Justice's rollout of its new corporate whistleblower program should spur policyholders to examine their directors and officers insurance policies for potential gaps and consider alternative options to supplement coverage for the company, experts said.

  • August 29, 2024

    Building Codes Key Part Of Mitigating Insurance Risks

    Property and casualty insurers have highlighted resilient building as a way to address burgeoning property risk, but experts told Law360 the government alone cannot be expected to improve insurance outcomes without engagement from state and local jurisdictions and private organizations on issues like building codes and federal grants.

  • August 29, 2024

    Aon Unit Accuses Chinese Bank Of $2.8B Reinsurance Fraud​​​​​​​

    An Aon PLC subsidiary has accused one of China's largest banks in New York state court of helping a now-bankrupt insurtech company engage in a multibillion-dollar scheme to defraud the subsidiary and cedent insurers in reinsurance transactions, seeking to recover at least $140 million in lost premiums from the bank.

  • August 29, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    AmWay kept a $37 million win despite a Sixth Circuit split, Georgia's appeals court opened ride-sharing service insurers up to claims, SXSW settled its COVID-19 cancellation dispute, and a store sought coverage for a civil conspiracy suit related to a death caused by the son and eventual murder victim of killer attorney Alex Murdaugh.

  • August 29, 2024

    Segal McCambridge Eyes Tampa Shop With Gordon Rees Hire

    Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd. has brought on the former assistant managing partner for Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP's Tampa, Florida, office as an insurance and complex commercial litigator as the firm plans to open its own first office in Tampa in the coming months.

  • August 29, 2024

    Agency Says Homeowner's Appeal Question Is Too Late

    An insurance agency pushed North Carolina's Supreme Court to toss a homeowner's appeal on whether the court erred by having heightened pleadings standards for punitive damages against corporations, arguing the deadline for debating the issue had passed.

  • August 29, 2024

    9th Circ. Case May Hinge On When Is Rain Not Rain

    The Ninth Circuit’s coming review of whether a rain exclusion bars a contractor’s claim for more than $7.5 million in water damage to a Hilton hotel it was building in Washington state will potentially turn on the policies’ definition of flood. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of oral arguments on Sept. 10.

  • August 28, 2024

    Suit Against BCBS Unit Over COVID-19 Test Claims Tossed

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday nixed a laboratory's lawsuit accusing a Blue Cross Blue Shield unit of violating state and federal laws by underpaying or refusing to pay COVID-19 testing claims during the pandemic.

  • August 28, 2024

    Insurer Blasts Ralph Lauren's Appeal For COVID-19 Coverage

    Factory Mutual Insurance Co. urged the Third Circuit on Wednesday to reject Ralph Lauren Corp.'s bid to recoup up to $700 million in COVID-19 pandemic losses, blasting the fashion house's "conclusory allegations" that it was entitled to coverage.

  • August 28, 2024

    BofA Hit With Suit Alleging 'Exploitative' Trust Insurance Costs

    A trust beneficiary accused Bank of America in Georgia federal court of charging a trust it manages "unnecessarily expensive" insurance coverage for a residential property, arguing the bank breached its duties both as a trustee and a fiduciary.

  • August 27, 2024

    6th Circ. Reverses Geico's Win In Agents' Benefits Suit

    The Sixth Circuit upended Geico's win in a lawsuit from insurance agents accusing it of misclassifying them as independent contractors and forcing them to lose out on benefits, saying more evidence is needed to determine if the insurer relied on unauthentic documents to get the suit tossed.

  • August 26, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Renew Seattle Homeowners' Insurance Row

    A group of Seattle homeowners cannot force Security National Insurance Co. to help cover a nearly $617,000 default judgment in an underlying construction defect dispute against its insured, the Ninth Circuit ruled, finding exclusions barring coverage for new construction applicable.

  • August 23, 2024

    Insurer Must Cover Flooded Basements, Mich. Panel Says

    An insurer must pay a property owner over $150,000 in damages stemming from drain backups and water damage, a Michigan state appeals court ruled, finding that the property owner inquired about increased coverage before the discovery of the loss.

  • August 23, 2024

    Insurance Software Co. Probe, Insider Sales Prompt Del. Suit

    A MediaAlpha Inc. stockholder sued in Delaware's Court of Chancery on Thursday for access to the insurance marketing platform developer's books and records, pointing to stock sales by the company's two controlling investors that allegedly allowed them to avoid $66 million in stock drop losses.

  • August 23, 2024

    Insurer Scores Coverage Win Over Retaining Wall Failure

    A contractor's insurer has no duty to help cover a $2.66 million settlement over the contractor's faulty construction of retaining walls, a Washington federal court ruled, finding an "impaired property" exclusion applicable.

  • August 22, 2024

    Multi-Deal Insurance On The Rise In Cooler M&A Market

    As M&A activity continues to recover from its peak in 2021, insurers are now increasingly issuing representation and warranty policies covering not just one underlying deal, but a buyer's portfolio of prospective acquisitions, experts tell Law360.

  • August 22, 2024

    Midyear Check-In 2024: Rite Aid Bankruptcy

    Pharmacy chain Rite Aid Inc. entered bankruptcy last year facing billions of dollars in bank debt and staggering liabilities in connection with the national opioid crisis, but its trip through Chapter 11 resulted in a confirmed plan that addresses these obligations.

  • August 22, 2024

    State Farm Can't Slash Fraud Suit, Even On The Merits

    An Illinois federal judge has stuck to her decision not to let State Farm significantly cut down a proposed class action targeting an allegedly unlawful totaled-vehicle valuation formula, even while acknowledging she should have considered the merits of State Farm's arguments.

  • August 22, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    CVS has no coverage for 200 opioid actions, State Farm auto policyholders have another shot at an underpayment class action, Travelers settled with a thieving law firm and Safeco says a man who allegedly gave his girlfriend herpes is on his own. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • August 22, 2024

    Motor Home Policy Is Stackable, Widow Tells NC Court

    The widow of a North Carolina man who was fatally struck by a car told a state appeals court that she's allowed to stack two underinsured motorist policies to recover a $625,000 wrongful death award in her favor because the second policy included a "private passenger motor vehicle."

  • August 22, 2024

    In 'Super Like' Coverage Bid, Tinder Seeks Match With NY Law

    A New York federal court's contemplation of whether Tinder owner Match Group has coverage for a lawsuit alleging it stiffed a developer who invented the app's "Super Like" function could provide clarity on when and how a state law applies to extend reporting deadlines in insurance policies.

  • August 22, 2024

    NY AG Tells Appeals Court To Uphold $465M Trump Judgment

    Donald Trump has barely challenged the extensive proof of financial statement lies undergirding a $465 million civil fraud judgment against him and his co-defendants, New York's attorney general said in an appeals brief looking to preserve the bench verdict.

  • August 22, 2024

    Fisher Phillips Brings Smith Gambrell Atty To DC Gov't Team

    Fisher Phillips' new D.C.-based agriculture employment partner has practiced several types of law throughout his career, and told Law360 Pulse Thursday that his employment law career started unexpectedly after a managing partner at one of his first firms called out sick before an interview.

  • August 22, 2024

    Ga. Mineral Co., Insurer Strike Deal In Talc Coverage Suit

    Phoenix Insurance Co. reached a contingent settlement with a Georgia-based mineral products company in litigation seeking to force the insurer to defend the company against an underlying suit claiming it supplied asbestos-containing talc products.

Expert Analysis

  • Questions Remain On Computer Fraud Coverage For Phishing

    Author Photo

    There are questions regarding the applicability of computer fraud coverage to phishing scheme losses in the wake of the Ninth Circuit's decision in Ernst & Haas v. Hiscox earlier this year, with a backdrop of differing case results and evolving fact patterns over the past few years, say Robert Callahan and Melissa D’Alelio at Robins Kaplan.

  • Storm Insurance Considerations For Cos. New To Florida

    Author Photo

    As more and more businesses migrate to Florida, commercial property owners and tenants should carefully consider specific contract terms in order to avoid insurance issues and litigation in the event of storm damage, say Philippe Lieberman and Marko Cerenko at Kluger Kaplan.

  • Business Insurance Considerations Amid Conflict In Ukraine

    Author Photo

    As the conflict in Ukraine continues to wreak havoc on global business operations and supply chains, companies should carefully assess all the various types of insurance coverage that may mitigate corporate losses, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recent State Rulings Buck Trend In COVID Insurance Disputes

    Author Photo

    For the last two years, policyholders have been mostly unsuccessful in arguing that commercial property policies should cover losses suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a trio of recent state court decisions suggests that the pendulum may swing in policyholders' favor, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • NY Waterborne Property Ruling Is A Warning To Policyholders

    Author Photo

    A New York state court's recent decision in Mill Basin v. Markel, adopting an expansive interpretation of a waterborne exclusion, is a reminder to policyholders that courts may rule against them even when case law and insurance principles are seemingly in their favor, say Catherine Doyle and Caroline Meneau at Jenner & Block.

  • 2 Reasons Why Ill. Virus Coverage Ruling Is Significant

    Author Photo

    An Illinois federal court's recent decision in Dental Experts v. Massachusetts Bay Insurance is especially useful due to the scarcity of relevant pandemic-related business interruption case law involving first-party policies, and because it clarifies how the cause test should be applied in similar cases, say Christopher Kuleba and Adrienne Kitchen at Reed Smith.

  • Tracking Class Certification Changes, 1 Year After TransUnion

    Author Photo

    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court's TransUnion v. Ramirez decision, defense lawyers have invoked it as support for denying class certification or decertifying classes — but an analysis suggests that the main impact of the ruling has simply been closer scrutiny of class definitions by district courts, say James Morsch and Jonathan Singer at Saul Ewing.

  • What's At Stake In Fla. Insurance Appraisal Case

    Author Photo

    The Florida Supreme Court's decision in Weston Property & Casualty Insurance v. Riverside Club Condominium Association, determining whether trial courts should have discretion to sequence appraisal and fraud in insurance disputes, will influence how claims are handled on a national basis, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Hurricane Insurance Prep Is Key For Fla. Condos And HOAs

    Author Photo

    As this year's hurricane season gets underway, Florida associations for homeowners, condos and communities should review their insurance policies and protocols in advance of potential inclement weather, says Kelly Corcoran at Ball Janik.

  • Property Insurance Coverage Can Hinge On 'Riot' Or 'Protest'

    Author Photo

    As protests erupt across the U.S. in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Alycen Moss and Elliot Kerzner at Cozen O'Connor examine important property insurance questions that depend on whether a gathering of people is classified as a protest or a riot.

  • Lessons From Calif. Liability Claim Recoupment Ruling

    Author Photo

    A recent California federal court decision in Evanston Insurance v. Winstar Properties illustrates the perils of insurer recoupment and underscores the importance of assessing recoupment rights, if any, throughout the claims process, say Geoffrey Fehling and Veronica Adams at Hunton.

  • Recent Decisions Are Eroding All-Risk Insurance Coverage

    Author Photo

    All-risk insurance coverage is under siege by insurers' broad interpretations of established exclusions, and recent decisions in New Jersey and New Hampshire have shown that courts may not protect coverage despite the policies' text and intent, says Nicholas Insua at Reed Smith.

  • Exploring Calif. Wildfire Insurance's Legislative Landscape

    Author Photo

    As California wildfire season approaches, elected officials and insurance companies continue to face the task of finding long-term solutions, including an increasingly important role for mitigation efforts by individual homeowners and business owners in order to protect their property, say Jan Larson and Jenna Conwisar at Jenner & Block.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Insurance Authority Property archive.