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

  • AI Brings New Insurance Concerns For Healthcare Providers

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    As the healthcare industry increasingly invests in medical artificial intelligence tools, it confronts a variety of liability risks that necessitate careful consideration and potential recalibration of providers' insurance programs, say Marialuisa Gallozzi and Megan Mumford Myers at Covington.

  • Superfund Site Reopenings Carry Insured Risk, Opportunity

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's reported plans to reopen certain Superfund sites citing the presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances raise notable liability concerns, but may also present unique opportunities for policyholders under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, say attorneys at Haynes and Boone.

  • 3 AI Regulation Developments Insurers Must Follow

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    Insurance regulators continue to actively develop regulations and guidance on the use of artificial intelligence, so insurers should be aware of recent developments from the Colorado Division of Insurance, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the New York Department of Financial Services, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Harvard's Broker Fight Shows Active Risk Management Is Key

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    Harvard University’s recently filed suit against its insurance broker for alleged malpractice in handling the Students for Fair Admissions claim illustrates that risk management requires the concerted effort of policyholders, brokers and insurers to protect against disastrous losses, say William McMichael and David Klein at Pillsbury.

  • Illinois Trump Tower Ruling Illuminates Insurance 'Occurrence'

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    In Continental Casualty v. 401 North Wabash Venture, an Illinois appellate court found that Trump Tower was not entitled to insurance coverage for operating its HVAC system without a permit, helping to further define a widely litigated general liability insurance issue — what constitutes an "occurrence," say Robert Tugander and Greg Mann at Rivkin Radler.

  • How Shareholder Activists Are Targeting Insurers

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    As shareholder activists take a closer look at the insurance industry, they are pushing insurers to take value-enhancing and climate-related measures — but insurers can prepare by anticipating activist concerns, maintaining robust shareholder engagement, and considering changes in response to the universal proxy rules, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Breaking Down Insurers' Improper Recoupment Efforts

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    In a recent trend, insurance companies have sought to recoup defense costs from their policyholders, but there are four counterarguments that policyholders can deploy to fend off these concerning recoupment efforts, say William Passannante and Nicholas Bradley at Anderson Kill.

  • Insurers Should Prepare For 'Black Swan' Climate Disasters

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    As rapid climate change results in increased risk of casualties and property loss from rare, severe weather events, the insurance industry should take five crucial steps toward evolving and continuing operations, including advanced analytic techniques and investments in alternative energy sources, say Stephen Brown and Irena Maier at Wilson Elser.

  • How Ill. Supreme Court Could Shape Statutory Violation Cases

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    In Fausett v. Walgreens, the Illinois Supreme Court will take up the question of whether a violation of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act satisfies the injury-in-fact requirement, and any outcome could significantly change the litigation landscape in Illinois, say Donald Patrick Eckler and Joshua Zhao at Freeman Mathis.

  • 3 Quirks Of New Jersey Insurance Coverage Law

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    There are a multitude of state-specific requirements and nuances that make New Jersey insurance law unique, including in the areas of duty to defend, reservation of rights and bad faith, say attorneys at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Conn. Insurers Should Note Stricter Market Exit Oversight

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    The Connecticut Insurance Department recently issued a bulletin that reflects a unique and stricter approach to insurers' market withdrawals and reductions in property and casualty business, making clear that it will not assess compliance based on an insurer's intent, but on the effect of the insurer's actions, says Elizabeth Retersdorf at Day Pitney.

  • Extreme Weather And Renewable Project Insurance Coverage

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    The regularity and severity of extreme weather events driven by climate change are putting renewable energy projects increasingly at risk — so project owners, contractors and investors should understand the issues that can arise in these situations when seeking recovery under a builder's risk insurance policy, say Paul Ferland and Joshua Tumen at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Potential Relief For Nevada Insureds Is On The Horizon

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    A proposed regulation recently issued by the Nevada Division of Insurance would severely restrict the state's new law prohibiting burning-limits policies, enacting welcome changes to address businesses' concerns that the law will make it harder to obtain cost-effective liability insurance, says Sheri Thome at Wilson Elser.