Policyholders vs. Insurers: 3 Arguments to Make When Selecting Defense Counsel & Hourly Rates
What is Subrogation and How Does it Affect Settlement Amounts?
Well-established law requires that an insured be made whole before recoveries benefit an insurer. When an insured’s losses exceed policy limits, any additional recovery made by the insured should inure to the benefit of the...more
Contra proferentem is a foundational legal principle with particular importance in insurance law. It mandates that any ambiguities in an insurance policy are construed against the insurer and in favor of the insured. The...more
You have purchased a liability insurance policy and believe that your insurance coverage will protect you from any claims that may be made against you. You receive a claim letter or are served with a legal document that says...more
In this episode of "Don’t Take No for an Answer," Lynda A. Bennett and Alexander B. Corson explore the complex issue of "allocation" in the context of defense costs in insurance claims. They discuss what steps to take when...more
In New Jersey Mfrs. Ins. Co. v. Lallygone LLC, No. A-2607-22, 2024 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 120, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey (Appellate Division) considered whether New Jersey Manufacturers...more
Weighing in on an issue that has divided courts nationwide, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has ruled that an insurer under Massachusetts law has no right to recoup defense costs, or amounts the insurer pays...more
Here’s what we discuss in our October Insurance Update. Illinois: Environmental Suits Alleging Non-Compliance with Laws and Regulations Did Not Assert an “Occurrence”- Massachusetts (federal): Insurer May Consider Sums...more
Additional Insured’s Action Against Insurer Dismissed for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction - The takeaway of this article is for you to consider updating your clients' insurance requirements to require a specific additional...more
In Donegal Mut. Ins. Co. v. Thangavel, No. 379, 2022, 2023 Del. LEXIS 227, the Supreme Court of Delaware (Supreme Court) considered whether the Sutton Rule prevented the plaintiff from pursuing subrogation against the...more
The insurer’s right of subrogation is equitable in nature, even if not based in contract. However, since the insurer steps into the shoes of its insured and is limited to the rights of its insured, an integral part of the...more
Second Circuit Finds That Subcontract Did Not Incorporate GC’s Obligation To Obtain Additional Insured Coverage For Owners And That GC’s Primary Policy Was Primary To GC’s Additional Insured Coverage Under Sub’s Umbrella...more
In this episode, Eric Jesse explains ways to prevent your insurer from taking a one-size-fits-all approach to its defense obligations, from asserting your right to select your own counsel to challenging its definition of...more
In this month’s Privacy & Cybersecurity Update, we review new consumer privacy laws in Tennessee and Indiana, three GDPR rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union, updates regarding future California Privacy...more
It is an all-too-common scenario for insurance practitioners. Company A hires an independent contractor to perform work on its premises. Their agreement specifies that Contractor will procure liability insurance—often...more
Primary and excess insurance carriers and their counsel need to pay close attention to a new Texas Supreme Court case Exxon Mobil vs. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Starr Indemnity &...more
In rejecting an insurer’s attempt to block confirmation of its insured’s bankruptcy plan, the Fourth Circuit found that an insurer may not interject itself into plan negotiations by invoking the duty to cooperate, nor does...more
The duty of a liability insurer to defend a policyholder from litigation is typically described as broad and expansive, extending beyond the insurer’s duty to indemnify. The duty to defend generally obliges an insurer to...more
In Vermont Mutual Insurance Company v. Poirier, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that attorney’s fees awarded under M.G. L. c. 93A are not covered by a Businessowner’s Liability Policy, because such fees...more
In Optrics Inc. v Lloyd’s Underwriters, 2022 ABCA 26 [Optrics] the Alberta Court of Appeal highlights the limits on summary applications by insureds seeking confirmation that an insurer must defend a claim against the...more
Perhaps you are tired of reading that I grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, but it is one of the last bastions of American colonialism. Personally, I do not like the word “colonialism” because it inevitably conjures up negative...more
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has held that an insured v. insured exclusion barred coverage for a lawsuit brought in the name of a music fraternity against its president and executive...more
Applying Illinois law, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has held that a D&O policy’s professional services and contract exclusions do not bar coverage for lawsuits seeking damages for fees and...more
In May of this year, the Supreme Court of Wyoming held that a subsidiary of Sinclair Oil could invoke statutory bad faith damages after prevailing in a coverage dispute with its insurer, Infrassure. The court rejected the...more
MASS SHOOTINGS: MULTIPLE CLAIMANT CONSIDERATIONS - In 2020, despite nearly nationwide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States sustained 611 mass shooting events. This represents an increase from 336 in...more
The Florida Supreme Court has given the proverbial “green light” for insurance companies to sue attorneys for negligent representation of an insured. Historically, to bring an action against an attorney for legal malpractice...more