Construction Law, Insurance

Can an Intervening Insurance Company Sue for Breach of Contract?

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/22/2013

If a party in litigation has a default judgment entered against it, can its insurance company still file a motion to intervene and use the same defenses that would have been available to the insured if not procedurally barred...more

Eighth Circuit Addresses Business Risk Exclusions

by Traub Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP on 5/21/2013

In its recent decision in Spirtas Co. v. Nautilus Ins. Co., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 10031 (8th Cir. May 20, 2013), the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, applying Missouri law, had occasion to consider...more

Contribution Between Insurance Carriers And The Duty To Defend

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/21/2013

In St. Paul Mercury Insurance v. Mountain West Farm Bureau, 210 Cal. App. 4th 645 (10/25/12), the California Court of Appeal addressed the duty of an insurance carrier to defend a general contractor named as an additional...more

Real World - May 2013: Mind the gap – insurance issues for tenant fit-out works

by Navpreet Janduar | Dechert LLP on 5/20/2013

Imagine the following scenario; your company has acquired a lease of a prime piece of real estate to accommodate its fast expanding business. The building’s footprint lies in the heart of the city’s commercial centre. The...more

Recent Insurance Coverage Decisions Of Note In California

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/20/2013

California Courts handed down some interesting decisions re insurance coverage during the fourth quarter of 2012: St. Paul Mercury Insurance v. Mountain West Farm Bureau (10/25/12) In an equitable contribution action, an...more

Indemnity Prohibition

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/17/2013

On January 1, 2013, new rules governing indemnification in construction contracts went into effect under SB 474 in California. The new law impacts commercial real estate, and public and residential projects. The big picture...more

Business Interruption Insurance

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/16/2013

Business Interruption Insurance Business Interruption Insurance (“BII”) is a form of commercial insurance coverage that provides limited but useful protection when a business is unable to continue normal operations or occupy...more

California Civil Depositions Limited To Seven Hours Under New Law

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/15/2013

Some attorneys are known for being long-winded time wasters who act with little regard for efficiency, especially when billing at an hourly rate. Although we believe the length of a deposition is often dictated by the...more

Trial Tactics for Insurance and Corporate Defense Cases

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/14/2013

Insurance companies and corporate defendants often begin a lawsuit at a disadvantage due to the mere fact that they are being sued by a plaintiff who alleges to have been injured and/or damaged. It is therefore crucial to...more

Litigation Management: A Win-Win

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/13/2013

Using tools and strategies to effectively and intelligently proceed a case through the litigation process, based on the goals and expectations of a specific client, is an important part of effective legal representation. This...more

Daubert Standard For Expert Testimony Almost Applied In California

by Peter Bauman - Senior Associate at Tharpe &... on 5/10/2013

The standard for admitting expert scientific testimony in a federal trial under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure was established in the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical (US Supreme Court, 6/28/93), then...more

New Laws Regarding Construction Defects

by Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks on 5/9/2013

Have you been involved in an accident on a construction site in Hawaii? If so, a ruling from Hawaii’s Court of Appeals may be relevant. ...more

Use of Additional Insured Status to Reduce Attorneys' Fees

by Conrad Lazo | Fowler White Boggs P.A. on 5/8/2013

Although insurance requirements are typically addressed in most construction contracts, they are often given minimum attention. On the other hand, attorneys’ fees are always a major concern. Notwithstanding, requiring...more

Capitol Report: Property Insurance Bill Creating Citizens Clearinghouse Passes 2013 Florida Legislature

by Kelly Cruz-Brown | Carlton Fields on 5/8/2013

Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1770 (CS/SB 1770) passed by the 2013 Florida Legislature creates a “keep-out” clearinghouse to reduce the size and type of exposures insured by Citizens Property Insurance Corporation...more

Bad Faith Sentinel - April 2013

by Gregory M. Boucher, Carolyn Due, Matthew M. Haar, Joseph C. Monahan, Amy L. Piccola, Thomas S. Schaufelberger | Saul Ewing LLP on 5/1/2013

In This Issue: - Western District Of Washington: Denial of a Defense Where Additional-Insured Status Was Arguable, and Doing So in Reliance on Extrinsic Evidence, Were Both Acts of Bad Faith - New York Court...more

When Does an "Occurrence" Occur?

by Jerome Sturhahn | Sherman & Howard L.L.C. on 5/1/2013

Two federal courts in Denver recently addressed a fundamental question that exists in almost every construction defect case - when did the property damage that gives rise to liability, and the insurer's obligation, occur? ...more

The “Occurrence” Debate Continues: Pennsylvania and North Dakota Edition

by Aaron Mandel, Stevi Raab | Sedgwick LLP on 4/30/2013

As noted in our previous installment of CDCQ, the “occurrence” issue is one of the most hotly litigated topics in construction defect coverage cases. This last quarter was no exception. Two recent cases addressing this issue...more

Insurers: Does Your Policy Contain a Broadly Worded EIFS Exclusion? If You’re in Washington, You Might Be in Luck!

by Aaron Mandel, Stevi Raab | Sedgwick LLP on 4/30/2013

Recently, Washington courts have issued a number of opinions resolving a variety of issues against insurers. For instance, the Washington Supreme Court presumed that there is no attorney-client privilege in a bad-faith suit...more

Insurance Coverage Issues for Green-Related Building Projects

by Stevi Raab | Sedgwick LLP on 4/30/2013

Kermit the Frog once famously lamented that “it’s not easy being green.” Well, we hate to break it to you, Kermit, but that’s not exactly true anymore. As it turns out, being green is now all the rage, especially in the...more

Sixth Circuit Holds That Insurer Is Required to Defend Contractor in Claim by Customer, as "Your Work" Exclusion in CGL Policy Is...

by Peter Georgiton | Dinsmore & Shohl LLP on 4/25/2013

In Forrest Construction, Inc. v. The Cincinnati Insurance Co., No. 11-6262, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 722 (6th Cir.), the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that an insurer breached its policy with an...more