The Chartwell Chronicles: An Overview of New Jersey Workers' Compensation
Midyear Premium Increases and Cafeteria Plan Rules
The D&O Renewal Market: Will the Wild Ride of Premium Increases, Stretched Capacity and Restrictive Terms Continue?
Health Reimbursement Arrangement Update
Podcast: Health Reimbursement Arrangements
Is Private/Non-Profit D&O Coverage Under Priced?
Does the Affordable Care Act really make health insurance more affordable?
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown orders, policyholders were driving less and insurance company severities and loss ratios were reduced. This resulted in a temporary increase in insurance company profits....more
This year began like the last one ended, with lots of activity. Total loss class actions kept going around the country, and labor depreciation class actions experienced ups and downs, depending on one’s viewpoint. New class...more
The end of this past year witnessed further development of total loss, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) and COVID premium rebate class actions, along with movement in new(er) property and casualty class actions...more
The Eleventh Circuit recently affirmed an Alabama district court’s decision granting summary judgment in favor of Allstate Insurance Company in a consolidated ERISA class action challenging Allstate’s decision to stop paying...more
Last month I blogged about a Fourth Circuit case that saw an eleventh-hour judge recusal. The Supreme Court of North Carolina is now facing a similar issue, times five. The case involves a class action challenging a law...more
In Washington: The House of Representatives was set to pass its $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package (H.R. 1319), late Friday night over solid Republican opposition. The passage is a key step toward giving President Joe...more
No Recovery for Paying Premiums in Excess of Policy Face Amount - Since we last reported on Goostree v. Liberty National Life Insurance Co. in the October 2019 issue of Expect Focus — Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions,...more
The Eleventh Circuit recently examined the application of the $5 million amount-in-controversy requirement under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) to disputes over life insurance premiums and policies. It concluded that...more
On September 5, 2018, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Fehr v. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, overturning certain parts of the motion judge’s decision and certifying a class action against Sun Life...more
A long-term care insurance class action filed in May 2018 highlights the importance of clearly defined policy language. At dispute in the lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of...more
In Lee v. Rogers Agency, Lee purchased three whole-life insurance policies in the 1980s where each had a face value of $1,000,000. No. 06-15-00037, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 1069 (Tex. App.—Texarkana February 8, 2017, pet. filed)....more
Those of you with gray hair like me may recall the life insurance vanishing premium lawsuits from the mid-1990s. As a refresher, that flood of lawsuits arose from life insurance policies sold in the 80s (mainly whole or...more
The filed rate doctrine can often provide a strong defense to an insurer in a class action claiming that insurance premiums were too high for some reason. A recent Second Circuit decision applied the doctrine broadly. This...more
It was recently reported that Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS), along with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, was sued across all states in a class action brought by two types of plaintiffs. One plaintiff class reflects...more
One theory that has been raised by plaintiffs’ lawyers in some insurance class actions is that policyholders should receive a partial refund of their premiums because they are not receiving the coverage they paid for, or...more
Insurers typically adjust (or propose to adjust) the policy limits on a homeowners’ policy every year to take into account changes in the cost of construction. This is intended to help insureds make sure that sufficient...more
Business owners who may be eligible to share in a $420 million class action settlement over inflated premiums charged by the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation have until Oct. 22 to submit a claim form....more
In a class action challenging a cost of insurance (COI) rate increase, a New York federal district court has stated that an insurer may only consider factors specifically enumerated in the policy when raising COI rates on a...more
In the first federal appellate decisions addressing cost of insurance (COI) charges in life insurance policies, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals handed two victories to insurers in opinions issued December 13, 2013. In...more