Expert Analysis

State Of Insurance: Q1 Notes From Illinois

Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey discusses notable insurance developments in Illinois, including the state Supreme Cou... (more story)

Mapping Bank Exec Clawback Risk Ahead Of Revived Bill

The reintroduction of the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act would allow recovery of executive compensation after... (more story)

State Of Insurance: Q1 Notes From Pennsylvania

From causation standards in first-party property claims, to the scope of statutory bad faith liability, to the enf... (more story)

Property More

Calif. Insureds Say State Farm's Property Valuation Is Unlawful

A class of California homeowners that say State Farm underpaid their property insurance claims urged a federal court to reject the insurer's argument that its method of calculating actual cash value is in line... (more story)

Insurer Drops Oil Refinery Fire Coverage Row After Deals

An excess insurer has agreed to drop a Texas federal case seeking to avoid defending a petrochemical contractor from property damage and bodily injury lawsuits stemming from a pipeline explosion in Arkansas, a... (more story)

Insurance Litigation Week In Review

The Colorado Supreme Court limited the reach of the state’s insurance cooperation law. The Eighth Circuit asked Minnesota's top court to weigh in on a product liability dispute. The Sixth Circuit decertified a... (more story)

Insurer Says Mass. Dealership Handed Mercedes To Thieves

A Pennsylvania insurance company has said a Boston-area Mercedes dealership must reimburse the insurer for a claim it had to pay after the dealer allegedly gave a $100,000 luxury SUV to people who posed as tra... (more story)

Colo. High Court Limits Reach of Insurer Cooperation Law

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Monday that a portion of Colorado law addressing procedural requirements for insurers asserting failure-to-cooperate defenses against policyholders applies only to a policyhold... (more story)

Reel Justice: 'No Other Choice' And Moral Rationalization

In the satirical thriller "No Other Choice," the main character rationalizes his decision to kill business competitors by creating a narrative of necessity, illustrating for attorneys the dangers of treating s... (more story)

Full 6th Circ. Nixes Class Cert. In State Farm Vehicle Value Suit

The full Sixth Circuit on Friday reversed the certification of a class of 90,000 State Farm policyholders in a suit claiming the insurer systematically undervalues totaled vehicles, finding the insurer has a r... (more story)

5 Trial Lessons You Learn By Losing

Exploring insights that are usually gained only after trial loss can expose the gaps between what we intend to communicate and what lands with the fact-finder, including why being right isn't always a win and ... (more story)

Chinese Bank Must Face Aon Unit's Reinsurance Fraud Suit

China's largest bank can't avoid an Aon PLC subsidiary's suit seeking to hold the bank liable for its alleged role in a multibillion-dollar reinsurance fraud scheme, a New York state court ruled, allowing all ... (more story)

Chinese Company Settles Suit Over Defective Dehumidifier

A group of property owners and their insurer agreed Thursday to end their lawsuit over allegedly defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Chinese company Gree Electric Appliances Inc. ahead of a planned jury trial in August.

General Liability More

Psych Facility Not Covered For Sexual Misconduct, Court Told

An insurer said it owes no coverage to a behavioral health facility in an underlying suit alleging that an employee carried out an inappropriate relationship with a patient, telling a Washington federal court ... (more story)

Texas Couple Drops Data Suit Against Personal Injury Firm

A Houston couple who accused a law firm and a since-dismissed Progressive unit of conspiring to share the private information of car crash victims has dropped federal claims against the firm after reportedly f... (more story)

Snack Maker Says Liberty Mutual Owes For Failed Build Costs

The maker of Little Debbie snacks has filed a federal complaint arguing that Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. must make good on construction bonds and cover millions of dollars in damages and legal expenses stemmi... (more story)

Colo. Justices Say Car Rental Cos. Don't Qualify As Insurers

Car rental companies that offer supplemental insurance through their own carriers cannot be deemed insurers of customers who purchase that coverage through rental agreements, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled M... (more story)

8th Circ. Defers To Minn. High Court On Amazon Fire Liability

The Minnesota Supreme Court should be the arbiter of whether Amazon can be held liable for a $3.8 million office fire caused by a defective phone battery sold by a Chinese manufacturer on its platform, an Eigh... (more story)

Contractor Fights $174.6M Verdict In Hotel Project Row

A contractor hit with a $174.6 million judgment over construction delays and defects stemming from a Marriott construction project in Philadelphia has asked the court to toss the verdict and grant a new trial,... (more story)

Insurer Says No Coverage For $7.5M Sewage Spill Suit

An insurer told a Florida federal court it owes no coverage to a drilling subcontractor or a telecommunications construction company in a $7.5 million suit over the discharge of millions of gallons of raw sewa... (more story)

9th Circ. Revives County's $162M Environmental Coverage Bid

The Ninth Circuit on Thursday revived a California county's suit seeking coverage of up to $162 million for environmental remediation efforts at an airport, reversing a lower court ruling that the policies wer... (more story)

Transport Co. Says Broker, Insurer Cost It Gov't Contract

An insurance broker submitted forged documents while obtaining an adjustment on a transportation company's insurance policy, causing it to lose coverage it needed to do business with a Washington, D.C., region... (more story)

AIG Unit Denies Coverage For $5.4M Casino Sprinkler Repair

An AIG unit told a California federal court that it owes no coverage for a $5.4 million award against a subcontractor for the cost of repairing and replacing an allegedly defective sprinkler system in a Las Ve... (more story)

Specialty Lines More

Ga. Lawyer Says Fraud Coverage Ruling Misread State Law

A Georgia attorney on Wednesday urged a federal judge to undo a recent ruling declaring his professional liability insurer doesn't owe him coverage in an underlying lawsuit alleging the lawyer schemed with a c... (more story)

Jury To Weigh Coverage Suit Over Ex-Chemoil CEO's Fee Deal

It is up to a jury to decide whether the ex-CEO of an oil company breached provisions of the company's directors and officers policy when he entered into a $1.2 million deal with his former employer without th... (more story)

Insurance Litigation Week In Review

State Farm doesn't owe uninsured motorist coverage, an Ameritas policy is an illegal life wager, and a Georgia attorney accused of fraud isn't entitled to professional liability coverage. Law360 has the past w... (more story)

Insurer Escapes Covering Ga. Atty In $750K Fraud Suit

A Georgia attorney's professional liability insurer owes no coverage for an underlying suit alleging the lawyer conspired with a client to enrich themselves from a litigation funding company by claiming a fict... (more story)

Travelers Says Prior Claims Bar $2.3M Habitat Loss Coverage

A Travelers unit urged a Texas federal court to find it owed no coverage for a $2.3 million judgment entered against a real estate broker over claims it negligently permitted a contractor to enter a property a... (more story)

Life Policy With $21M Payout Voided As Illegal Life Wager

A Delaware federal court voided a life insurance policy as an unlawful wager on a now-deceased Florida woman's life, finding that Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. is entitled to retain the policy's $10 million de... (more story)

How Cos. Can Prep For Conn. Data Privacy Amendments

Effective July 1, 2026, amendments to the Connecticut Data Privacy Act narrow the safe harbor for data used by banks, insurance companies and other financial services businesses, highlighting how state regulat... (more story)

Insurer Intentionally Avoiding $200M Loan Claim, Court Told

A litigation funding firm has accused its insurer of wrongfully refusing to pay out its policy's guaranteed $200 million in coverage for an unpaid loan, saying the insurer buried it in duplicative and burdenso... (more story)

Excess Insurer Says Healthcare Co. Can't Tap $25M Policy

A private equity-backed hospital management company can't tap into its $25 million excess professional liability insurance for several underlying lawsuits until it forks over its $5 million self-insured retent... (more story)

How Banks Can React To Risks In FinCEN Whistleblower Rule

Financial institutions should reassess and, if necessary, strengthen existing policies, procedures and other frameworks related to whistleblowers and internal reporting in light of the Financial Crimes Enforce... (more story)