Hinshaw Releases Second Edition of Duty to Defend: A Fifty-State Survey
Loading and Unloading Under GL and Auto Policies: 2022
Prior & Pending Litigation
What is a Damron Agreement?
John H. Fisher and his P.C. represented a client in a medical malpractice action filed on February 15, 2019, alleging that the defendant medical providers failed to provide proper prenatal care to the client, causing the...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, applying California law, has affirmed a district court’s determination that California Insurance Code § 533 barred indemnity and defense costs coverage for a lawsuit...more
This article will discuss policyholder concerns after a California federal court recently found that some PFAS claims in an MDL were excluded under a pollution exclusion, but others were not. The case is Nat'l Foam, Inc. v....more
The insureds were sued for alleged environmental contamination from the operation of a marine terminal and chemical storage facility. The claimants alleged that hazardous materials leaked from storage tanks over a fifty-year...more
U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals - USA v. Murat - sentencing - Johnson v. Fla DOC - Confrontation Clause, medical report - US Sugar v. US Army Corp of Eng’rs - administrative challenge, Everglades...more
Key Points: A workers’ compensation insurance carrier normally does not have a duty to pay benefits for an intentional injury claim....more
In Nationwide Property & Casualty Insurance Company v. Hampton Court, L.P., et al. the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted an insurer's motion for judgment on the pleadings that it owed...more
Plaintiff’s counsel often employ a range of strategic tactics to defeat diversity jurisdiction because they view federal court as an unfavorable forum. One such tactic is to challenge the amount in controversy—a key...more
This insurance-coverage dispute involved alleged asbestos exposure from asbestos-containing vermiculite mined from Vermiculite Mountain outside of Libby, Mont. The court acknowledged that vermiculite ore may contain toxic...more
The United States District Court for the Northern District of California, applying California law, has held that a retroactive date endorsement limited coverage to $1 million if a claim involved wrongful acts occurring prior...more
Applying Indiana state law, the Indiana Court of Appeals has held that a breach of contract exclusion did not preclude a duty to defend under an employment practices liability policy because some of the underlying allegations...more
In Home Depot Inc. v. Steadfast Insurance Co., Home Depot learned the hard way a rule every DIY enthusiast knows: measure twice, cut once. It appears Home Depot’s measurements were off when it sized up its insurance needs,...more
The 2014 Home Depot data breach was one of the more notorious cyberattacks. A decade later, litigation over that incident continues. The Sixth Circuit recently decided whether an electronic data exclusion cleared insurers...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, applying Georgia law, has held that the electronic data exclusion in commercial general liability (CGL) policies issued to a retail store company precluded coverage...more
The foundation of a policyholder’s agreement to pay premiums for a standard commercial general liability policy (CGL) is the insurer’s agreement to defend the policyholder against lawsuits and shoulder the costs of the...more
Rodrigues v. Shelbourne Spring, LLC, No. A-39-23 (December 12, 2024) - In a unanimous decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court found Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company had no duty to defend the employer, SIR Electric LLC....more
We kick off the year with a quartet of state supreme court decisions and an intermediate appellate court ruling that has insurers breathing a harmonious sigh of relief. Policyholders and insurers often disagree over what the...more
Fernandez v. Old Republic Nat’l Title Ins. Co., Fla. 3d DCA, No. 3D23-1088, December 4, 2024 - The Third District Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s ruling and ordered the insurance carrier, Old Republic National Title...more
On December 11, 2024, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas refused to allow extrinsic evidence under the Monroe conditions where plaintiff’s employment status and the merits of the case...more
An owner, general contractor (GC) and subcontractor (Sub) were sued by injured workers at a construction site, and they were defended by the Sub’s insurer, U.S. Specialty Insurance Company. U.S. Specialty tendered their...more
The insured punched and kicked the Claimant, causing injuries. The Claimant sued the insured alleging that the insured assaulted him, and negligently and recklessly caused his injuries. Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance...more
In Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office v. Office of the Atty General, et al., the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) denial of the petitioner’s request for representation in a...more
There’s been plenty of litigation over whether construction defect claims qualify for coverage under a CGL policy. This month, we discuss two federal circuit court rulings (First and Seventh Circuits) that reach opposite...more
On November 8, 2024, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (the Court) issued a decision in the matter of Admiral Insurance Company, et al. v. Tocci Building Corporation, et al., No. 22-1462 (1st Cir. 2024). The...more
In this month’s update, we’re discussing cases involving climate change, hurricanes, cryptocurrency, and aerial spraying. We begin in Hawaii where that state’s high court became the first to decide whether greenhouse gas...more