Property
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May 12, 2025
Calif. FAIR Plan Must Provide Fire Claim Docs, Couple Says
A couple displaced by toxic contamination in their home after the Los Angeles wildfires asked a California state court on Monday to force the state's last-resort insurer to turn over all claim-related documents to policyholders who have requested them, saying the insurer's refusal to do so is unlawful.
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May 12, 2025
Will Justices Finally Rein In Universal Injunctions?
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to address for the first time Thursday the propriety of universal injunctions, a tool federal judges have increasingly used to broadly halt presidential orders and policy initiatives, and whose validity has haunted the high court's merits and emergency dockets for more than a decade.
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May 12, 2025
Broker's Insurer Wants Out Of Suit Over Bad Advice
A professional liability insurer told a Florida federal court it owes no coverage to an insurance broker accused of wrongly advising its client on a $15.9 million hurricane loss because the advice came years before coverage began.
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May 09, 2025
Insurers Urge 1st Circ. To Undo Oil Co. Coverage Ruling
Insurers for a heating oil company asked the First Circuit to reverse a decision forcing them to defend the company and several executives in a class action alleging damage caused by fuel containing elevated levels of biodiesel, saying the company's "purposeful business choices" do not constitute an occurrence.
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May 08, 2025
Alaska Fishery Insurance Co-Ops Cast Wide Coverage Net
The Alaska House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill permitting commercial fishers to form insurance cooperatives, a move that allows all eligible boat owners the ability to obtain coverage from a source that understands the industry for a reasonable price, representatives said. Here, Law360 speaks with Reps. Louise Stutes and Kevin McCabe about what to expect.
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May 08, 2025
2nd Circ. Revives Arbitration In Hurricane Damage Suit
The Second Circuit on Thursday revived a bid by surplus insurers seeking to arbitrate claims over hurricane-related property damage in Louisiana, in a ruling that overturns its own precedent on the interpretation of a treaty governing international arbitration.
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May 08, 2025
Pierson Ferdinand Hires Commercial Litigation Partner In NY
Pierson Ferdinand LLP has added a former McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP attorney as a New York-based partner in its commercial litigation practice, the firm said Thursday.
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May 08, 2025
Natural Disasters Change Climate For Art Insurance
Art loss isn't new, but it has gained more attention as natural disasters become increasingly frequent. The perils that threaten collections — hurricanes, floods, fires and even hailstorms — have made it harder to find coverage, sparking a trend of decoupling art insurance from other forms of coverage.
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May 07, 2025
No Quick Win For Insurer In Hail Damage Dispute
A Georgia federal court on Wednesday rejected an insurer's pretrial bid to avoid covering a homeowners association's hail damage claims, finding there are "plainly genuine disputes of material fact as to whether hail damage occurred to the roofs of the property during the policy period."
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May 05, 2025
Ky. Property Owner Sues Liberty Mutual For Arson Coverage
The owner of an apartment building in the Louisville, Kentucky, metro area accused a Liberty Mutual unit of denying property coverage in bad faith for a May 2023 arson incident that rendered the building a total loss, telling a federal court Monday the insurer wrongly invoked a raft of exclusions.
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May 05, 2025
Insurer Knowingly Skimped On Storm Probe, Texas Court Told
A Houston-area developer's insurer deliberately refrained from a proper investigation after a May 2024 storm and thus came up short on covering losses, the developer told a Texas federal court Monday.
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May 01, 2025
La. Gov. Crosses Aisle To Boost Insurance Head's Powers
Louisiana's Republican governor has crossed party lines by backing a proposal to empower the state's insurance commissioner to regulate rates, and while the move comes as part of a bid to stop spiraling property and auto insurance costs, critics — including the commissioner himself — say it would be ineffective or even counterproductive.
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May 01, 2025
Public Fire Model Could Boost Calif. Insurance Oversight
Developing a public wildfire model in California could help provide a transparent benchmark for insurance regulators to better understand fire risk and evaluate rates, but experts warn that challenges remain as the federal government eyes cuts to key climate monitors.
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May 01, 2025
Insurance Pros Stress Disaster Mitigation In Senate Hearing
A panel of insurance experts stressed in front of a U.S. Senate committee Thursday the importance of mitigation efforts, such as strengthening building codes and hardening homes, as the experts discussed how prices in the property insurance market have soared because of recent natural disasters across the country.
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May 01, 2025
8th Insurer Dismissed In Pulte Coverage Row
Two PulteGroup subsidiaries said Thursday they'll dismiss their property damage coverage claims with prejudice against an insurer over structural issues at a residential development, marking the eighth dismissal of an insurer since the homebuilder first sued a raft of carriers in New Mexico federal court in October 2023.
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May 01, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The Fourth Circuit upheld Kaiser Gypsum Co. Inc.’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy plan, insurers for the Suquamish Tribe further urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review their tribal jurisdiction dispute and the Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a McDonald’s franchisee’s bid for coverage. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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May 01, 2025
Foster Care Insurance Costs Surge Amid Abuse Claims
Foster care agencies have faced increased costs of general liability insurance and with insurers hesitant to write policies for these entities in certain states, experts point to the need for legislative reform and regulation all while trying to prevent further trauma for children.
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May 01, 2025
Bank Says Insurer Owes $1.8M In Vandalism Coverage
A bank accused a Berkshire unit and its insurance agent of underpaying coverage for property damage from "vandalism and/or theft," saying that while it's received roughly $105,000 in coverage to date, the insurer has yet to pay nearly $1.8 million.
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May 01, 2025
Pierson Ferdinand Adds Insurance Group With New Atty
The rapidly growing firm of Pierson Ferdinand LLP announced Thursday that it tapped a new partner who was previously with Carlton Fields to launch an international insurance regulatory team practice along with another Los Angeles-based attorney.
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May 01, 2025
4th Circ. To Mull Towers Watson's Bump-Up Exclusion Appeal
The Fourth Circuit will have another chance to interpret the language of so-called bump-up exclusions when it hears oral arguments next week in Towers Watson's long-running dispute to secure $54 million in directors and officers coverage for settlements resolving shareholder litigation. Here, Law360 breaks down the case in advance of the May 6 hearing.
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April 30, 2025
Guam School Says Insurer Underpaid Typhoon Coverage
A Florida-based nonprofit organization that owns a high school in Guam accused its property insurer of underpaying its more than $5.1 million typhoon damage claim in bad faith, telling a Guam federal court Wednesday that all amounts due are "well within the value" of its policy.
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April 30, 2025
Allstate Settles Law Firm's Wrecked Car Fee Coverage Suit
A settlement has been reached in a Georgia law firm's proposed class action against Allstate Insurance Co. over allegations that it failed to pay title transfer fees and license registration fees to insured people who incurred total loss claims.
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April 29, 2025
Condo Assoc., Insurer End Nashville Bombing Coverage Row
Aspen Specialty Insurance Co. and a Nashville condominium association have agreed to end their dispute over coverage for nearly $11 million in damages caused by the 2020 Christmas Day bombing in the city, ending their battle with a joint stipulation of dismissal filed in Tennessee federal court.
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April 28, 2025
Insurance Agency Says Carrier Can't End Car Policy Program
An insurance agency that provides specialized policies for car rental companies asked a Pennsylvania federal court to halt an insurer's plan to abruptly cancel a program through which the agency writes the policies, saying the proposed termination would cause "major disruptions" to rental companies and their customers nationwide.
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April 28, 2025
GE, Haier Owe Nearly $3M For Motel Fire, Insurer Says
An insurer is seeking about $3 million from GE and Haier in connection to a Super 8 motel fire it claims was started by a faulty heating and cooling unit, according to a lawsuit removed to a Texas federal court.
Expert Analysis
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5 Insurance Types For Mitigating Tariff-Related Trade Losses
The potential for significant trade-related losses as a result of increased tariffs may cause companies to consider which of their insurance policies, including marine, builders risk, trade credit, and directors and officers, could provide coverage to alleviate the financial impact, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process
The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.
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Texas Case Shows Why Juries Are Well-Suited To COVID Suits
The original jury verdict in Baylor College of Medicine v. Lloyd's, currently on appeal to the Texas Supreme Court after being overturned by an appellate panel, illustrates why COVID-19 business interruption claims with their case-specific facts need to be decided by juries, not by judges using a one-size-fits-all approach, says Jeremy Lawrence at Farella Braun.
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In-House Expert Testimony Is Tricky, But Worth Considering
Litigation counsel often reject the notion of designating in-house personnel to provide expert opinion testimony at trial, but dismissing them outright can result in a significant missed opportunity, say David Ben-Meir at Ben-Meir Law and Martin Pitha at Lillis Pitha.
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Tracking Changes To AI Evidence Under Federal Rules
As the first quarter of 2025 draws to a close, important changes to the Federal Rules of Evidence regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the courtroom are on the horizon, including how to handle evidence that is a product of machine learning, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Reconciling 2 Smoke Coverage Cases From California
As highlighted by a California Department of Insurance bulletin clarifying the effect of two recent decisions on insurance coverage, the February state appellate ruling denying coverage for property damage from smoke, ash and soot should be viewed as an outlier, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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Key Insurance Issues Likely To Arise From NY Superfund Law
The recently enacted New York Climate Change Superfund Act imposes a massive $75 billion in liabilities on energy companies in the fossil fuel industry, which can be expected to look to their insurers for coverage, raising a slew of coverage issues both old and new, say attorneys at Wiley.
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How Fla. Is Floating A Raft Of Bills To Stem Insurance Woes
Proposed reforms that follow a report skewering Florida's insurance industry offer a step in the right direction in providing relief for property owners, despite some limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.
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What To Know About NAIC's Risk-Based Capital Task Force
Attorneys at Debevoise outline key details of the Risk-Based Capital Model Governance Task Force, which was recently launched by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, including the task force's objectives, and potential implications for insurers and their investment strategies.
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How Calif.'s Wildfire Insurance Crisis Might Affect Texas
Attorneys at Munsch Hardt examine the implications of California's wildfire insurance crisis for Texas, including potential shifts in coverage availability, regulatory differences and how the insurers in the second-largest U.S. state may react to a major wildfire event.
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How To Create A Unique Jury Profile For Every Case
Instead of striking potential jurors based on broad stereotypes or gut feelings, trial attorneys should create case-specific risk profiles that address the political climate, the specific facts of the case and the venue in order to more precisely identify higher-risk jurors, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.
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Managing Anti-Corporate Juror Views Revealed By CEO Killing
After the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson laid bare deep-seated anti-corporate sentiments among the public, companies in numerous industries will have to navigate the influence of related juror biases on litigation dynamics, say Jorge Monroy and Keith Pounds at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Notable Q4 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
In a continuation of trends in property and casualty insurance class actions, last quarter insurers struggled with defending the merits and class certification of sales tax and fee suits, and labor depreciation cases, but succeeded in dismissing privacy class actions at the pleading stages, says Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler.