The New York Court of Appeals recently issued an important decision on how the Additional Insured endorsement to a Commercial General Liability insurance policy should be interpreted. It did so in a split decision and by reversing a decision by the Appellate Division. A vigorous dissent accompanied the opinion. Commentators are already discussing the ramifications of … Continue Reading
A recent Summary Order from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals highlights the difficulties that often arise with other insurance clauses and additional insureds. Which carrier has the primary duty to defend and indemnify an underlying action is a question that turns up with frequency when there are multiple parties sued and multiple possible applicable insurance … Continue Reading
Notice requirements in liability insurance policies typically require that notice of a claim or lawsuit be given as soon as practicable and in writing to the insurance company. While the exact language differs from policy to policy, the concept of written notice to the insurance company without delay is fairly common. In the normal circumstance, where … Continue Reading
Many liability insurance policies exclude coverage for bodily injury or property damage arising out of structural alterations that involve changing the size of or moving buildings or other structures, new construction or demolition operations performed by or on behalf of the named insured. Construction insurance policies typically cover these risks, not general liability policies. A … Continue Reading
Case law in nearly every state provides that the duty to defend is broader than the duty to indemnify. Typically courts look to the allegations in the complaint and compare those allegations to the coverage grants in the policy to determine if the allegations are sufficient to bring the claim within the possibility of coverage … Continue Reading
Common forms of commercial general liability policies typically include provisions requiring the insurer to defend the insured regardless of whether the claim is valid or not, as long as the claim is within the coverage grant of the insurance policy. The typical language provides that the insurance company has the right and duty to defend … Continue Reading
On Monday, in Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London v. Arch Specialty Ins. Co., 16 C.D.O.S. 3833 (Cal. Ct. App. Apr. 11, 2016), the California Court of Appeal (Third District) rejected Arch Specialty Insurance’s attempt to enforce “other insurance” clauses in the conditions and coverage grant of the relevant policies.… Continue Reading
Most liability policies require that the claim arise from an accident or occurrence typically defined in a way that the accident or occurrence is a fortuitous event and not an intentional act. The typical automobile accident or slip and fall are accidents; nothing premeditated or planned, no intent to cause harm, no intent to drive … Continue Reading
In McGinnes Indus. Main’t Corp. v. The Phoenix Ins. Co. (Case No. 14-0465), the Texas Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote joined the majority of other courts to have considered the issue and answered in the affirmative a question certified to it by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals: Whether the EPA’s PRP letters and/or unilateral … Continue Reading
I have run across a number of interesting situations involving owner controlled or contractor controlled insurance programs (“OCIP” or “CCIP”) that have developed into actual coverage disputes or potential disputes (can’t talk about the potential one!). For those who don’t know, an owner controlled or contractor controlled insurance policy or program is essentially a way … Continue Reading
The Texas Supreme Court is grappling with conflicting principles from its prior decisions in a case that may affect how insurers approach the duty to defend in Texas. In Seger v. Yorkshire Ins. Co., Ltd., (Case No. 13-0673), the carriers denied coverage on a wrongful death claim against a company called Diatom. Claiming an inability … Continue Reading
