We touch upon various issues in our August insurance update. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts considers the meaning of “surface waters” and whether the sublimit for floods applies when pooled water on a roof...more
Paraco Gas Corporation purchased an insurance policy for Directors, Officers and Private Company Liability (“D&O”) from Ironshore Indemnity, Inc. that covered certain acts of Paraco’s officers and directors. Paraco...more
It’s not often that the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on insurance issues. That’s because the McCarran-Ferguson Act gives states the primary authority to regulate the business of insurance. So when the Supreme Court speaks on...more
Insurers often include exclusions within their liability policies to prohibit coverage for claims arising out of pollution exposure. The exact wording of the exclusion can differ significantly, but the key issue is whether...more
Ohio presents unique challenges to practitioners handling insurance claims in the state. Join Goldberg Segalla partners Michael A. Hamilton and Sean P. Hvisdas as they host a live, interactive webinar on some of the most...more
When determining whether insurance coverage exists for a claim, a crucial consideration is whether the claim involves an event or occurrence that took place in a state other than where the relevant policy was delivered. This...more
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent major exposures to insurers and their policyholders. Thousands of lawsuits are pending nationwide and several large settlements have already been reached. Insurers are...more
In my last blog, I discussed the seminal ruling in Chisholm’s-Village Plaza, LLC v. Travelers Insurance Co., et al.; No. 2:20-cv-00920-JB-KRS, in which the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico analyzed...more
Courts were in full swing deciding insurance coverage issues over the past month or so. Here are a few that caught our attention. The Louisiana Supreme Court became the latest state supreme court to find no coverage for...more
Here are some of the leading insurance cases from the past month. The Sixth Circuit is the latest appellate court to address whether insurers must defend drug companies in local government opioid suits. Joining the Ohio...more
Coverage disputes often center on whether the policy language is clear. Under the rules of contract construction, unambiguous language in an insurance policy must be given its plain and ordinary meaning. Sometimes,...more
In my last blog, I noted that there is no case law under CERCLA analyzing whether an insurer may rely upon the absolute pollution exclusion to avoid the duty to defend where a complaint for cost recovery alleges joint and...more
The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (“D.R.I.”) addressed in an Opinion whether insurance coverage is applicable to the release of gasoline from an aboveground storage tank (“AST”) associated with...more
Second Circuit Holds That General Contractor’s “True Excess” Policy Covers Owner Before Owner’s Primary Policy Because Of General Contractor’s Contractual Indemnity Obligation to Owner- The Long Island Railroad on behalf...more
September. Synonymous with back to school, the end of summer, and the start of the NFL season. And while the Cowboys and Bucs kicked off the season this year, another epic battle was brewing out west in the corridors of the...more
Here is what you will find in our August Insurance Update: •Pollution Exclusion Bars Coverage for Criminal Proceeding Over Submission of Fraudulent Coal-Dust Samples, Sixth Circuit Affirms- •Fifth Circuit Finds Insurer...more
Appellate courts have been busy the last few weeks deciding a wide swath of insurance issues. The Eighth Circuit became the first federal appellate court to weigh in on pandemic-related business interruption claims. ...more
A Louisiana Court of Appeals (Fourth Circuit) (“Court”) addressed an insurance coverage issue arising out of contamination associated with a landfill. See The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality v. Tidewater...more
Join us for Hinshaw's Webinar Series: Insurance Insights – What Insurers Need to Know in 2021. This series will feature insurance thought leaders from Hinshaw and RPC, presenting on the most pressing insurance claims topics...more
Our November Insurance Update touches upon some novel issues. •Is an appraisal action – a proceeding to determine fair stock value on the date of merger – a Securities Claim for purposes of a D&O policy? •Must a workers’...more
Two recent decisions by courts denying motions to dismiss brought by insurers against insureds seeking COVID-19 business interruption coverage could be harbingers for other such decisions due to their focus on the...more
Under Florida law, similar to that of other states, an insurer’s duty to defend is generally determined solely by the allegations found within the four corners of the complaint. Florida courts, however, recognize an exception...more
In a sweeping decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit extended the absolute pollution exclusion to the unplanned discharge of “rock fines,” pellets produced during quarry operations, and denied coverage for...more
In a 2017 opinion, Xia v. ProBuilders Specialty Insurance Company, the Washington State Supreme Court analyzed whether an insurer breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing in refusing to defend its contractor insured...more
A federal judge recently relied on a pollution exclusion to find that Great American Insurance Company was not obligated to cover losses associated with the unintended distribution of rock fines into New Jersey’s Spruce Run...more