General Liability

  • November 26, 2025

    11th Circ. Says State Farm Doesn't Owe $1M For Shooting

    The Eleventh Circuit reversed a lower court ruling in an unpublished opinion that ordered State Farm to cover a $1.13 million judgment against a gas station owner by an employee who was shot on the premises, saying that an employer's liability exclusion bars coverage.

  • November 26, 2025

    Broward Schools Sue Insurer To Cover Parkland Settlement

    The School Board of Broward County, Florida, was "wrongfully abandoned" after its insurer failed to provide anything beyond $700,000 to cover a $26 million settlement to resolve suits from the 2018 mass shooting at a Parkland high school, the board told a state court.

  • November 26, 2025

    Ex-Atty Not Covered In $750K Law Firm Purchase Dispute

    An insurer has no duty to defend or indemnify a disbarred attorney, who is currently serving a 90-month sentence for embezzling funds from his clients and law firm, in an underlying suit claiming he owes more than $750,000 for the purchase of a firm, an Illinois federal court ruled.

  • November 25, 2025

    Bojangles Franchisee Ends Coverage Battle With Final Insurer

    The largest franchisee of chicken and biscuit restaurant Bojangles has dropped its claims against the last of three insurers it sued for coverage of an underlying suit over an employee's alleged rape by a co-worker, according to a court filing Tuesday.

  • November 25, 2025

    $2.6M Coverage Suit Over Bronx School Collapse Paused

    A New York federal judge paused a $2.6 million lawsuit Tuesday against Zurich Insurance over unpaid insurance coverage following the collapse of a Bronx school construction site after both parties asked for a stay pending the outcome of a state court lawsuit involving the same claims. 

  • November 21, 2025

    Hyperbaric Chamber Death Suit Not Covered, Insurers Say

    Two Nationwide insurers said they have no duty to defend or indemnify a hyperbaric oxygen therapy center or its employees in a suit over the death of a 5-year-old boy, telling a Michigan federal court that there was no bodily injury or property damage caused by an occurrence, or accident.

  • November 21, 2025

    1st Circ. Clears IT Co. In Suit Over Zoll Patient Data Breach

    An information technology company cannot be held liable for a data breach exposing the health information of patients of a unit of medical device maker Zoll Medical Corp, the First Circuit ruled, because the two companies did not have a business relationship permitting them to hold one responsible for another's conduct.

  • November 20, 2025

    Texas Camp May Struggle To Get Coverage After Flood Deaths

    Several wrongful death lawsuits brought against Camp Mystic after a series of deadly floods swept through Texas Hill Country in July have the potential to implicate the camp's general liability insurance program, but whether the camp can secure coverage constitutes a greater challenge, experts say.

  • November 20, 2025

    EEOC Accuses Northwestern Mutual Of Blocking DEI Probe

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission urged a Wisconsin federal court Thursday to force Northwestern Mutual to hand over details about its diversity, equity and inclusion policies and workplace trainings, saying the company's evasion is impeding an investigation into a former employee's bias allegations.

  • November 20, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a dispute over coverage for sex-trafficking suits, the Illinois Supreme Court questioned whether regulatory permits override pollution exclusions, and the Eighth Circuit affirmed an apartment owner's $27 million jury award for fire damage.

  • November 20, 2025

    AI Chatbots Spark Coverage Concerns Over Privacy Claims

    Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are raising novel concerns about potential privacy violations under federal and state wiretapping and eavesdropping laws, prompting questions about coverage for such claims, a policyholder attorney told Law360. Here, Stephanie E. Gee of Reed Smith LLP breaks down the issue.

  • November 19, 2025

    Colo. High Court Considers Insurers' Noncooperation Defense

    Colorado Supreme Court justices on Wednesday questioned the scope and effects of a state law requiring insurers to meet certain requirements in requesting information from policyholders before bringing a failure-to-cooperate defense, in a case where a man was denied claims after not turning over medical records.

  • November 19, 2025

    Contractor Not Covered In Pa. Hotel Construction Dispute

    A pair of Zurich insurers have no duty to defend or indemnify a contractor accused of mismanaging the construction of a dual-brand hotel in Pennsylvania, a California federal court ruled, saying coverage for the alleged property damage is barred by a "course of construction" exclusion.

  • November 19, 2025

    Senate GOP Resists Extending Expanded ACA Tax Premiums

    Senate Finance Committee Democrats on Wednesday urged their Republican counterparts to extend the enhanced tax credits for the Affordable Care Act, which is set to expire at the end of the year, but Republicans said they were looking for other options to address rising healthcare costs.

  • November 19, 2025

    Religious Org. Not Covered For Sex Abuse Suit, Insurer Says

    A nonprofit insurer said a Christian ranch for "at-risk" boys isn't owed coverage for a lawsuit alleging physical and sexual abuse, telling a Missouri federal court that the ranch failed to adequately provide notice of the underlying claim. 

  • November 19, 2025

    'Wrongly Decided' Case Backs Insurer Loss, Mich. Panel Says

    An insurer is statutorily barred from suing an auto shop to recoup personal injury protection benefits it paid to policyholders injured in a crash, a Michigan state appeals court affirmed, though saying it is bound by a 1993 case it believes was "wrongly decided" and should be reviewed.

  • November 18, 2025

    4th Circ. Restores Trade Secrets Suit Against Insurance Execs

    The Fourth Circuit on Tuesday revived insurer Sherbrooke Corp.'s claims of trade secrets theft against three former executives, disagreeing with a district judge who found that the company had not made enough of an effort to guard the software in question.

  • November 18, 2025

    Insurer Needn't Cover LA Zoo Org. In City Contract Dispute

    An insurer doesn't owe coverage to the Los Angeles Zoo's nonprofit arm in a contractual dispute brought by the city, a California federal court has ruled, finding that all claims are excluded under the association's nonprofit asset protection policy.

  • November 17, 2025

    ExxonMobil Says Insurers Owe Coverage For Cancer Suits

    ExxonMobil alleged that seven insurers failed to cover it against legal claims after two former contractors sued the petroleum giant, contending that exposure to a chemical in oil caused their cancer.

  • November 17, 2025

    Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: Skill Games Top Nov. Lineup

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court's November session will tackle the legality of the "Pennsylvania Skill" games that have popped up in gas stations and convenience stores, answering the long-simmering question of whether they should be regulated like slot machines. Here are some of the cases the state supreme court will hear during its three-day session in Harrisburg.

  • November 17, 2025

    Cannabis Co. Not Covered In Product Safety Suit, Insurer Says

    A cannabis company is not entitled to coverage for a proposed class action accusing it of misrepresenting the nature and safety of its cannabis-infused products, a Nationwide unit told an Illinois federal court, saying the suit doesn't allege bodily injury, property damage, or personal and advertising injury to trigger coverage.

  • November 14, 2025

    Contractor Not Covered In Explosion Suits, Insurer Says

    A contractor is not entitled to coverage for a slew of underlying suits over a March 2022 home explosion, a Nationwide unit told a Missouri federal court, saying the contractor breached the excess policy's notice provision by waiting two years to inform it of the incident and resulting claims.

  • November 13, 2025

    Insurance Securities Payouts Prove Valuable To Jamaica

    Payouts of over $240 million to Jamaica in the wake of Hurricane Melissa from a catastrophe bond and parametric insurance policies show the crucial role of the growing insurance-linked securities market for immediate funding needs after natural disasters, people familiar with the development of risk-transfer mechanisms in the Caribbean told Law360.

  • November 13, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Rulings Spotlight Coverage Clashes

    The North Carolina Business Court plowed into the fourth quarter with two big decisions in insurance disputes that involved $50 million in COVID-19-related losses at a chain of outlet malls, and an industrial accident at a Nucor Corp. iron plant in Louisiana.

  • November 13, 2025

    Colo. Plan To Cut Auto Rates Aims To Educate Policyholders

    Colorado's governor is aiming to increase transparency in rate-making and improve public safety under his plan to combat rising auto insurance premium costs, but more action from policymakers may be required to spur significant change in the state's auto insurance industry, experts say.

Expert Analysis

  • State Of The States' AI Legal Ethics Landscape

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    Over the past year, several state bar associations, as well as the American Bar Association, have released guidance on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice, all of which share overarching themes and some nuanced differences, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law Group.

  • NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    In a relatively light few months for banking legal updates in New York, the state Department of Financial Services previewed its views on banking sector artificial intelligence use via insurer guidance, and an anti-money laundering enforcement action underscored the importance of international monitoring processes, say Eric McLaughlin and Dana Bayersdorfer at Davis Polk.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: September Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy identifies practice tips from four recent class certification rulings involving denial of Medicare reimbursements, automobile insurance disputes, veterans' rights and automobile defects.

  • 3 Coverage Tips As 2nd Circ. 'Swipes Left' On Tinder Claim

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    The Second Circuit's recent opinion in Match Group v. Beazley Underwriting, overturning Tinder's victory on its insurer's motion to dismiss a coverage action, reinforces three best practices policyholders purchasing claims-made coverage should adhere to in order to avoid late-notice defenses, say Lynda Bennett and Alexander Corson at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks

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    With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.

  • Rise Of Transpo Contractors Brings Insurance Disputes

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    As more independent contractors are contracted and subcontracted in the delivery industry, companies must be prepared to defend claims from drivers who are injured on the job as they are often seeking to establish an employment relationship with one of the entities in the chain, says Nathan Milner at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions

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    Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.

  • What We Know From Early Cyberinsurance Rulings

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    Recent cyber disruption incidents, like the Crowdstrike outage and the CDK Global cyberattack this summer, highlight the necessity of understanding legal interpretations of cyberinsurance coverage — an area in which there has been little litigation thus far, say Peter Halprin and Rebecca Schwarz at Haynes Boone.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler discuss the muted nature of the property and casualty insurance class action space in the second quarter of the year, with no large waves made in labor depreciation and total-loss vehicle class actions, but a new offensive theory emerging for insurance companies.

  • Insurance Lessons From 11th Circ. Ruling On Policy Grammar

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent decision in ECB v. Chubb Insurance, holding that missing punctuation didn't change the clear meaning of a professional services policy, offers policyholder takeaways about the uncertainty that can arise when courts interpret insurance policy language based on obscure grammatical canons, say Hugh Lumpkin and Garrett Nemeroff at Reed Smith.

  • 6 Factors That Can Make For A 'Nuclear' Juror

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    Drawing from recent research that examines the rise in nuclear verdicts, Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies identifies a few juror characteristics most likely to matter in assessing case risk and preparing for jury selection — some of which are long-known, and others that are emerging post-pandemic.

  • Illinois BIPA Reform Offers Welcome Relief To Businesses

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    Illinois' recent amendment to its Biometric Information Privacy Act limits the number of violations and damages a plaintiff can claim — a crucial step in shielding businesses from unintended legal consequences, including litigation risk and compliance costs, say attorneys at Taft.

  • Ore. Insurance Litigation Is Testing The Bounds After Moody

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    Despite the Oregon Supreme Court’s attempt to limit application of its 2023 decision in Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union, which for the first time awarded extracontractual damages stemming from alleged negligent claims handling, recent litigation shows Oregon insurance companies face greater exposure, says Sarah Pozzi at Cozen O’Connor.