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
-
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.
-
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.
-
How The 'Rocket Docket' Continues To Roar Through COVID
While the Eastern District of Virginia rocket docket is no longer the nation's fastest civil trial court, it continues to keep litigation moving efficiently, with pandemic protocols resulting in new benefits for litigants, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
-
It's Time To Upgrade Our Attorney Licensure Rules
The bar exam does a poor job of testing the skills employers expect from new lawyers, and those who pass the bar can practice indefinitely without independent oversight, so states should consider alternative means for assuring competence and personal stability for new as well as experienced lawyers, says David Friedman at Willamette University.
-
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.
-
Data-Based Predictions On Case Timelines After Pandemic
Richard Finkelman and Karl Schliep at Berkeley Research Group analyze state and federal court data to pinpoint trends and predict changes in case resolution time frames after the COVID-19 pandemic upended judicial proceedings across the country, and they explain how parties can use these analytics to inform litigation decisions.
-
Embracing ESG
In this Expert Analysis series, in-house counsel share how they are adapting to the growing importance of environmental, social and corporate governance factors.
-
The Right Condo Governance Provisions Can Enhance Safety
Though condominium and community governance documents cannot prevent a structural failure, such as the Champlain Towers tragedy, developers and their lawyers can draft these documents to better educate board members and remove obstacles to preserving community assets, says Bob Burton at Winstead.
-
Risks To Consider For Commercial Real Estate Gap Closings
The use of the gap closing mechanism in commercial real estate transactions — when there is a delay between a purchase and the recording of documents — has been increasing amid the pandemic, but certain complications can arise for buyers when an intervening matter influences a title's quality, says Jennifer Ioli at Sherin and Lodgen.
-
Avoiding Unauthorized Practice Of Law In Remote Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many lawyers to telecommute, potentially from home jurisdictions where they are not admitted, raising questions about compliance with states’ unauthorized practice of law mandates — but attorneys can look to rules, advisory opinions and case law for clarity, say Lauren Snyder and Amy Richardson at Harris Wiltshire.
-
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.
-
Where Insurance Coverage For Condo Collapse Gets Murky
Property and casualty coverage for the Champlain Towers tragedy may be complicated, since different versions of collapse coverage are found in different policies, both for the individual condo owners and the condominium association, say Glenn Jacobson and Mark Binsky at Abrams Gorelick.
-
Courts Should Heed Contract Law In COVID-19 Physical Loss
While a recent Law360 guest article urged courts to adopt the particle theory of coverage in deciding COVID-19-related property loss and damage claims, this approach ignores the intent, function and language of commercial insurance policies — not to mention the science itself, say Adam Fleischer and Elisabeth Ross at BatesCarey.