Specialty Lines
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March 24, 2025
Justices Won't Review Missing Comma Coverage Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court won't review an Eleventh Circuit decision that a missing comma in a Chubb unit's professional services policy did not alter its clear and unambiguous meaning excluding coverage for a food service company's audit, according to an order list Monday.
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March 20, 2025
Mining Pollution Suit Paused Amid Appeal In Another Case
A federal judge in West Virginia didn't issue an injunction but instead stayed one case alleging coal mining pollution brought by county entities against energy companies and their insurers after the numerous carriers argued the litigation was redundant.
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March 20, 2025
State Farm's Calif. Rate Request Exemplifies Long Negotiation
California regulators' provisional approval of State Farm's premium increase request following the Los Angeles fires is another step forward in an insurance reform process that insurance pros view as a negotiation that has been protracted to the detriment of consumers.
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March 20, 2025
Opioid Orders Weigh Insurers' Role In Fighting Societal Harm
Rulings barring supermarket chain Publix and drugmaker Mallinckrodt from obtaining coverage for underlying opioid claims have contributed to insurers' continued success in defining their obligations to these claims while raising the question of whether insurance is intended to help protect against widespread societal harm.
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March 20, 2025
Bottler's Wine Contamination Coverage Bid Tossed For Good
A Nationwide unit prevailed again in getting a wine bottling company's coverage action thrown out, successfully arguing to a California federal court that a faulty work exclusion barred coverage for a since-settled lawsuit seeking $1.2 million in damages for wine contamination.
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March 20, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The California Department of Insurance provisionally approved State Farm's request for an emergency rate hike, a North Carolina federal court found a convicted insurance mogul's company liable for $57 million in misappropriated client funds, and the Fifth Circuit reversed an insurer's win in a bar assault coverage dispute. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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March 19, 2025
8th Circ. Upholds No-Coverage Ruling In Floor Paint Suit
A flooring company's insurer has no duty to cover roughly $134,000 in costs to remove and replace a vinyl floor because of a subcontractor's shoddy painting, the Eighth Circuit ruled Wednesday, rejecting the company's position that an exception in a faulty work exclusion applied to restore coverage.
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March 19, 2025
Insurers Say $40M Retirement Row Settlement Not Covered
Three excess insurers told a California federal court they should owe no coverage toward a $40 million settlement a third-party administrator of a church retirement's plan reached to resolve class action claims that it participated in a self-dealing scheme, arguing the claims predate the period they insured.
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March 19, 2025
Atty Fees Not Covered In Nursing Home Coverage Dispute
An Illinois federal court refused to rethink its finding that an insurer needn't cover a $666,000 attorney fee award against a nursing home operator in a wrongful death suit, saying in an amended ruling that the fees aren't covered damages under the policy or Illinois' Nursing Home Care Act.
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March 19, 2025
Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards
Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.
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March 18, 2025
9th Circ. Denies Bid To Halt $24M Deal In AIG Hidden Fee Case
Lower court proceedings can still continue as a class member appeals the final approval of a $24 million settlement over claims that Travel Guard Inc., AIG and certain AIG units improperly added fees in travel insurance premiums, the Ninth Circuit ruled, rejecting the class member's emergency bid for a stay.
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March 18, 2025
BetterHelp Demands Insurer Assist In $7.8M FTC Payment
Online counseling company BetterHelp told a California federal court that its insurer must cover a $7.8 million Federal Trade Commission payment and must defend it in underlying litigation brought by consumers who claim the company violated laws via its collection, use and disclosure of private health information.
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March 17, 2025
Zurich Unit Needn't Cover Travel Agency In Abuse Suit
A Zurich unit had no duty to defend a travel agency accused of negligence in connection with an overnight school trip where a student, court papers allege, was bullied and sexually abused by classmates, a Florida federal court ruled Monday, saying a sexual abuse exclusion barred coverage.
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March 14, 2025
Calif. Insurance Chief OKs State Farm Rates Pending Hearing
The California Department of Insurance on Friday provisionally approved State Farm's request for an emergency rate hike following the Los Angeles fires, including a nearly 22% increase for homeowners, saying final approval will be contingent on the insurer justifying its request at a hearing.
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March 13, 2025
Viacom Coverage Win Pushes Boundaries For Related Claims
A recent Delaware Superior Court ruling that allowed National Amusements Inc., Shari Redstone and Viacom Inc. to draw from two pools of insurance coverage for underlying shareholder litigation cemented the state's treatment of related claims while outlining areas of uncertainty for future disputes.
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March 13, 2025
Canada's New PM Seen As Leader Conscious Of Climate Risk
As the former central banker Mark Carney assumes leadership over Canada's government, experts are pointing to his comments on climate change risks to insurers as a watershed moment in appreciating the financial risks of a warming planet.
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March 13, 2025
Allstate Unit Data Breach Row Signals Shifting Cyber Risks
A New York attorney general suit against an Allstate unit is raising concerns about more aggressive state enforcement and data breach risks from insurers while emphasizing existing cyber risk and coverage issues that have long plagued policyholders.
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March 13, 2025
Meet The State Rep. Working To Bring Firearm Insurance To Ill.
As state and local governments consider the ways in which insurance can be used to regulate firearm use, Rep. Bob Morgan is leading the charge in Illinois, creating a task force to bring insurance experts and other related leaders together to formulate liability insurance for firearm owners. Here, Law360 speaks with Morgan as he works to discover whether a stand-alone policy or special endorsement can be used by individuals to promote safer firearm practices within the state.
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March 13, 2025
Insurers Must Cover Real Estate Cos. In False Claims Dispute
A pair of directors and officers insurers must provide coverage to real estate holding companies in an underlying False Claims Act whistleblower action, a Delaware Superior Court judge ruled, finding that a breach of contract exclusion does not bar coverage.
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March 13, 2025
Chubb Unit Can't Depose Smithfield CLO After 5-Year Lag
North Carolina's Business Court judge shut down a late deposition motion by a Chubb subsidiary seeking testimony from Smithfield Foods Inc.'s chief legal officer, criticizing the insurer for purportedly trying to open a "back door" to the coverage lawsuit's already-closed discovery process.
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March 13, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Progressive's $48 million settlement for underpaying New York drivers was finalized, insurers escaped covering opioid litigation and claims, Viacom and National Amusements Inc. got to continue their quests for coverage of shareholder litigation, and California state legislators discussed insurance rates after the wildfires.
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March 11, 2025
Insurer Says It's Off The Hook For Pay Transparency Suit
Houston Casualty Co. said Tuesday that its liability insurance policy does not cover an underlying lawsuit accusing a Washington company that owns McDonald's franchises of violating the state's pay transparency law for job postings.
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March 11, 2025
Ex-Marvel Exec Asks Fla. Court To Revive Punitives Claim
Former Marvel Entertainment Chair Ike Perlmutter has asked the Florida Supreme Court to revive his punitive damages claim against his neighbor in a dispute over a hate mail campaign, arguing that the appellate decision blocking his claim breaks from decades of jurisprudence on punitive damages in Florida.
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March 11, 2025
Yacht Owner Seeks $1M From Marsh After Losing Coverage
A yacht owner asked a Florida federal court to find its insurance broker owed over $1 million for negligence for failing to provide or explain its policy, after it was denied coverage for a total loss grounding because the boat's fire suppression equipment wasn't inspected as required.
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March 10, 2025
Viacom And NAI Can Continue Shareholder Coverage Dispute
A Delaware Superior Court judge ruled in companion cases that Shari Redstone, National Amusements Inc. and Viacom Inc. can still seek coverage for millions after underlying shareholder litigation in the wake of Viacom's 2019 CBS merger, determining prior actions were unrelated to the underlying disputes at hand.
Expert Analysis
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How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny
The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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8 Tech Tips For Stress-Free Remote Depositions
Court reporter Kelly D’Amico shares practical strategies for attorneys to conduct remote depositions with ease and troubleshoot any issues that arise, as it seems deposition-by-Zoom is here to stay after the pandemic.
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4 Ways Attorneys Can Emotionally Prepare For Trial
In the course of litigation, trial lawyers face a number of scenarios that can incite an emotional response, but formulating a mental game plan in advance of trial can help attorneys stay cool, calm and collected in the moment, says Rachel Lary at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice
New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.
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Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims
As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.
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Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors
For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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NC Ruling Takes Practical Approach To Duty-To-Defend Costs
In Murphy-Brown v. Ace American Insurance, a case of first impression, the North Carolina Business Court adopted the commonsense rationale of many state courts in holding that policyholders' defense costs should be deemed presumtively reasonable when a insurer breaches its duty to defend, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.
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A Look At Insurance Coverage For Government Investigations
Attorneys at Jenner & Block discuss the quirks and potential pitfalls of insurance coverage for government claims and investigations, including those likely to arise from the U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced whistleblower program.
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Why Diversity Jurisdiction Poses Investment Fund Hurdles
Federal courts' continued application of the exacting rules of diversity jurisdiction presents particular challenges for investment funds, and in the absence of any near-term reform, those who manage such funds should take action to avoid diversity jurisdiction pitfalls, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.
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7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight
Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Insurance Considerations For Cos. That May Face Strikes
The recent surge in major work stoppages in the U.S. highlights the growing importance of strike preparedness for businesses, which includes understanding strike insurance coverage options, say Chris D’Amour and Brooke Duncan at Adams and Reese.
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Challenges Of Insuring An NIL Collective
Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty examines the emergence of name, image and likeness collectives for student-athletes, the current litigation landscape that has created a favorable environment for these organizations, and considerations for director and officer insurers looking to underwrite NIL collectives.