Property

  • June 28, 2024

    Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

    By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.

  • June 28, 2024

    In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.

  • June 28, 2024

    Insurer Says Auto Co.'s COVID Coverage Suit Is Time-Barred

    An auto parts manufacturer's lawsuit seeking $50 million in coverage for COVID-19-related losses is time-barred, an insurer told a North Carolina federal court Friday, arguing that the manufacturer filed suit a year after the policy's three-year limitation period.

  • June 28, 2024

    Insurer Says Kennel Expansion Complaints Not Covered

    A Hanover unit told a California federal court that it has no obligation to defend a dog kennel in an underlying lawsuit alleging that the kennel's expansion, which increased capacity from about 20 dogs to 200 dogs, interfered with the community's rights of possession.

  • June 28, 2024

    5th Circ. Tosses Texas Health System's COVID-19 Suit

    The largest nonprofit health system in Texas cannot get coverage for COVID-19-related business interruption losses it said totaled over $192 million, the Fifth Circuit affirmed, highlighting previous circuit precedent establishing that COVID-19 does not cause "physical loss or damage."

  • June 27, 2024

    Proposed Calif. Insurance Tradeoff Draws Mixed Reactions

    Insurance industry representatives and consumer advocates in California are pitching opposing visions for a proposed regulatory tradeoff at the heart of state officials’ efforts to increase homeowners insurance availability at a time of heightening wildfire risks.

  • June 27, 2024

    Auto Software Outage Turns Policyholders To Cyber Coverage

    A ransomware attack against auto software company CDK Global that caused an ongoing disruption in the operations of car dealerships has sent policyholder experts pointing to cyber insurance policies for immediate relief.

  • June 27, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The D.C. Circuit ordered coverage for water damage stemming from an excluded peril, a Nevada state court let a COVID-19 coverage suit remain despite a pro-insurer pandemic ruling from the state's justices, Travelers avoided defending asbestos suits and Nautilus Insurance prevailed in a $3 million logging injury coverage row.

  • June 27, 2024

    2024 'Super Election Year' Shows Value In Risk Management

    Insurance experts are warning of potentially heightened risks as the 2024 presidential race ramps up in the U.S. and elections take place abroad, advising policyholders and insurers to maintain a strong understanding of their policies ahead of potential political unrest.

  • June 27, 2024

    Insurer Climate Risk Report Drawing Regulatory Attention

    A recent report finding that insurers are making mixed progress on climate risk disclosures will draw regulators' attention as they continue to shape how carriers detail information about their emissions and climate policies, experts say.

  • June 26, 2024

    Insurers Look To Tech Solutions To Reduce Water Damage

    Two insurers have announced new emphasis on property technology solutions in recent days as a strategy for reducing the risk from water damage, a major source of claims for property owners and operators that leads to billions of dollars in payouts each year.

  • June 26, 2024

    Conn. Firm Settles Suit Against Insurer Over Office Damage

    A Connecticut law firm and a real estate company on Wednesday agreed to drop a federal lawsuit accusing their insurer of failing to fully cover damage from a leak at their New Haven offices, less than two weeks after the insurer notified the court of a pending settlement, court records show.

  • June 25, 2024

    1 Of 2 Carriers Off Hook For $8M Garage Damage Verdict

    An insurer for a now-defunct maintenance company has no duty to cover an $8 million jury verdict it faces over parking garage damage, an Indiana federal court ruled, adding that whether a separate insurer for the company must foot the bill can not yet be determined.

  • June 25, 2024

    Wash. HOA Drops Water Damage Coverage Claims

    A homeowners association agreed to drop its Washington federal case seeking up to $8.7 million in coverage for "hidden" water damage to its condos.

  • June 25, 2024

    Ga. Mom Calls Insurer's Escape Bid From Rape Suit 'Illusory'

    The mother of a minor who was allegedly kidnapped and raped after a shooting at an Atlanta-area skating rink said Monday that a bid by the rink's insurance company to escape liability cannot stand.

  • June 24, 2024

    Lloyd's Seeks To Avoid Coverage For Beach Umbrella Death

    Certain underwriters at Lloyd's, London told a South Carolina federal court Monday they should have no coverage obligations to a vacation rental owner over a wrongful death suit alleging that a woman was impaled by a "wind-driven" beach umbrella.

  • June 24, 2024

    Architect Wants Roofer's Claim Nixed Over $17.6M School Fires

    Connecticut architectural firm Silver Petrucelli & Associates Inc. asked a state judge on Monday to strike a cross-claim by a builder it accused of impermissably using blowtorches to attach flashing to a school roof, setting fires in December 2021 and July 2022 that caused an alleged $17.6 million in damage.

  • June 24, 2024

    Nev. Restaurant Co.'s COVID Suit Is Kept Alive

    A group of insurers can't avoid a restaurant holding company's bid for coverage of COVID-19-related losses, a Nevada state court ruled, finding that the state supreme court's ruling on the subject didn't control the action because of an infectious disease endorsement in the company's policies.

  • June 24, 2024

    NY Warns Property Insurers Of Low-Income Renter Bias Ban

    New York's Department of Financial Services warned insurers Monday that they can no longer deny coverage to owners or increase premiums for residential properties solely because they house low-income tenants.

  • June 21, 2024

    Builder's Water Damage Claim Covered, DC Circ. Says

    A real estate developer and contractor are entitled to coverage for losses caused by water damage at a mixed-use development in the nation's capital, the D.C. Circuit ruled Friday, applying a policy exception that restores coverage for an insured peril that ensued from an excluded peril.

  • June 20, 2024

    'AI Washing' Actions Mark New Frontier In Coverage Disputes

    Recent regulatory actions and shareholder suits over alleged misrepresentations of artificial intelligence use, or what is known as AI washing, may be the first wave of a surge of claims that will hit professional and management liability insurance lines.

  • June 20, 2024

    Attys See Huge Financial, Legal Stakes In Hawaii Climate Suit

    A novel Hawaiian case over whether an AIG insurer needs to pay a Sunoco subsidiary’s legal fees to beat claims it contributed to climate change has huge stakes for carriers and policyholders as they increasingly tussle over the cost of Earth-warming emissions.

  • June 20, 2024

    Calif. Justices Give Insureds Certainty On Policy Exhaustion

    The California Supreme Court's clarification that an insured can look to first-layer excess policies as soon as primary coverage for that period is exhausted has favorable implications for policyholders, experts say, yet questions remain as a lower court weighs whether excess insurers must contribute to a primary insurer's coverage.

  • June 20, 2024

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The California Supreme Court opened the door to excess coverage for a policyholder's asbestos injury suits, the Hawaii Supreme Court questioned whether reckless behavior could trigger a Sunoco subsidiary's liability coverage, and the Second Circuit affirmed a Liberty Mutual unit's coverage win in a family shareholder dispute. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • June 20, 2024

    Fla. Property Owner, Insurer Settle $1.2M Ian Coverage Fight

    A QBE Insurance unit and a property owner settled their coverage dispute over the owner's claims it suffered roughly $1.2 million in losses due to Hurricane Ian, the parties told a Florida federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Questions Remain On Computer Fraud Coverage For Phishing

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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'

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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