Specialty Lines
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October 17, 2024
Milton Brings High Insured Costs, Familiar Pressures To Fla.
While Florida avoided a worst case scenario following Hurricane Milton's landfall, insurance experts say that the high cost of the storm will add familiar pressures to a Florida homeowners insurance market that has been battered for years by storms.
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October 17, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The Texas insurance chief denied an insurer of last resort's 10% rate hike proposal, a Pennsylvania federal court sacked the Philadelphia Eagles' COVID-19 coverage claims, asbestos claimants urged the Fourth Circuit to uphold the reorganization plan of Kaiser Gypsum Co. and an insurer avoided defending a gender discrimination suit. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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October 17, 2024
Health Co. Must Face State Farm Settlement Interpretation Suit
An automobile-accident-focused healthcare company can't escape State Farm's lawsuit claiming the facility breached a settlement agreement by failing to drop hundreds of personal injury protection suits, a Florida federal court ruled.
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October 17, 2024
Law360's Guide To The 2024 Insurance Commissioner Races
Voters around the country are gearing up to head to the polls, reading up on candidates' policies and checking their registration statuses, but in four states, voters will also cast their ballots for a new insurance commissioner. Here, Law360 takes a look at the races.
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October 17, 2024
5th Circ. Tosses Policyholder's Hurricane Coverage Suit
The Fifth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a National Flood Insurance Program policyholder's suit seeking coverage for at least $100,000 in hurricane damage to a Mississippi beachfront property, saying it was time-barred and failed to allege any extracontractual duties.
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October 16, 2024
Calif. Community Flood Insurance Project Secures New Funds
California's water regulation authority will support a novel flood insurance program aimed at providing a tiny Central Valley town with coverage in the event of a major flood event, the state's insurance commissioner said Wednesday.
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October 16, 2024
Inspector Says It's Not To Blame For $3.4M Yacht Damage
A company that inspected a boat hoist that failed during the launch of a yacht said it wants out of a $3.4 million dispute between Lloyd's syndicates and underwriters and a Seattle boat builder, telling a federal court that its actions did not cause the damage to the vessel.
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October 15, 2024
Wash. Hospital Wants Spinal Surgeon Scandal Suit Tossed
A healthcare system in Washington state has urged a federal judge to throw out the government's civil lawsuit alleging it perpetuated a doctor's scheme to earn millions of dollars from unnecessary surgeries, accusing prosecutors of "second-guessing" the organization's legitimate processes for hiring physicians and addressing internal complaints.
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October 15, 2024
Medical Insurer Needn't Defend Doc Against Trans Bias Suit
A plastic surgeon's medical liability insurer had no duty to defend against claims that the surgeon violated Minnesota's Human Rights Act by suggesting that a transgender woman seek breast augmentation surgery elsewhere, a state appeals court ruled, finding the claims didn't constitute a "medical incident."
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October 15, 2024
Judge Approves Murdaugh Boat Crash Settlement
A South Carolina judge has approved a $15 million settlement in a suit against a gas station that allegedly sold alcohol to disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh's underage son, who was later involved in a boat crash that killed one person, after a hangup with an insurance carrier was resolved.
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October 15, 2024
Insurer Asks Court To Weigh In On Damaged Embryo Suit
An insurer for a fertility clinic asked a Texas federal court to determine whether it owes coverage for an underlying suit accusing the clinic of knowingly transferring damaged or destroyed embryos into patients.
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October 15, 2024
Law Firms Diverge As Anti-ESG Pushback Continues
A continuing onslaught of legislation and litigation opposing corporate environmental, social and governance actions has created a fork in the road for law firms, with some choosing to scale back efforts and others pushing ahead with their internal ESG and diversity, equity and inclusion goals.
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October 15, 2024
The 2024 Law360 Pulse Social Impact Leaders
Check out our Social Impact Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their engagement with social responsibility and commitment to pro bono service.
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October 10, 2024
Insurers Win Big In Hawaii Climate Change Pollutant Suit
The Hawaii Supreme Court's ruling that AIG doesn't need to cover a suit accusing a Sunoco subsidiary of contributing to climate change drew praise from insurance carrier attorneys for finding that greenhouse gasses are an excluded pollutant, but policyholder attorneys took satisfaction in the court's expanded view of covered occurrences.
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October 10, 2024
COVID Coverage Questions Linger As Challenges Wind Down
Nationwide efforts to recover insurance payouts for COVID-19 pandemic losses met a series of setbacks in recent weeks, largely bringing major litigation to a close even as questions linger over key coverage issues that could have lasting effects.
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October 10, 2024
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
A Hawaii petroleum company isn’t covered for underlying claims that it contributed to global warming, The Rockefeller University can continue to pursue bad faith and deceptive practice claims against its carriers in a coverage dispute over sex abuse claims, and an aircraft company is seeking $220 million for aircraft still in Russia. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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October 10, 2024
Freddie Mac, Axis Ink Deal Over $32M SEC Probe Coverage
Government-backed mortgage buyer Freddie Mac told a D.C. federal court it reached a settlement with an excess insurer over its $32 million defense bill from a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and lawsuits concerning its exposure to subprime mortgages in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis.
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October 10, 2024
Back-To-Back Storms Expose Outdated NFIP Holes, Pro Says
The one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton should give policymakers another reason to bolster the country's leading flood insurer and rethink water risks, according to Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers and a leading figure among flood loss reduction professionals. Here, Law360 talks to Berginnis about how the back-to-back storms lay bare the country's flood risks.
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October 09, 2024
9th Circ. Grills Geico, Assignees Over Failed Settlement
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared conflicted over both Geico and a policyholder's assignees' arguments regarding whether the carrier acted in bad faith toward its insured when it prioritized a release of the insured's father-in-law during failed settlement negotiations with the family of a pedestrian fatally struck by the insured driver.
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October 09, 2024
Senior Center Denied Total Win In Insurer's Coverage Suit
An insurer for an operator of a skilled nursing facility must still cover the portion of a $225,000 wrongful death damages award exceeding a $100,000 self-insured retention even if the operator can't pay that retention, an Illinois federal court ruled, citing state public policy.
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October 08, 2024
Hawaii Justices Hand AIG Win In Novel Climate Coverage Suit
AIG isn't obligated to cover a lawsuit accusing a Honolulu-based Sunoco subsidiary of contributing to climate change, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled, saying a pollution exclusion in the oil giant's policy encompasses greenhouse gas emissions.
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October 07, 2024
Insurer Says $3.8M Church Sex Abuse Judgment Isn't Covered
A church's insurer told a Washington federal court that it owes no coverage for a $3.75 million stipulated judgment stemming from a woman's claims that the church failed to protect her from a deacon who sexually assaulted her when she was 16 years old.
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October 04, 2024
Insurer May Pay Only 1 Fla. Mass Shooting Victim
An insurer isn't required to pay anything to two families whose loved ones died in a mass shooting at a Miami mall because it already exhausted all its proceeds in paying one other family $50,000, a Florida federal judge ruled.
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October 04, 2024
4 Benefits Appellate Arguments To Watch In October
The Fourth Circuit will consider a drugmaker's challenge to a West Virginia state law restricting access to the abortion drug mifepristone and Ohio pension funds are seeking to revive an investor class action at the Second Circuit, while the First and Ninth Circuits will take up executive compensation disputes. Here are four appellate arguments in October involving employee benefits that attorneys may want to keep on their radar.
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October 04, 2024
Private Equity Firm Says Insurer Must Pay $2.8M Hack Claim
A private equity firm said its insurer must cover over $2.83 million the firm said it lost as a result of a hacking event, telling a Nebraska federal court that its policy covers loss resulting from theft or from breach of duty by directors and officers.
Expert Analysis
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Key Provisions In Florida's New Insurer Accountability Act
Florida's recent bipartisan Insurer Accountability Act introduces a range of new obligations for insurance companies and regulatory bodies to strengthen consumer protection, and other states may follow suit should it prove successful at ensuring a reliable insurance market, say Jan Larson and Benjamin Malings at Jenner & Block.
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10th Circ. Remand Of ERISA Claims To Insurer Is Problematic
The Tenth Circuit recently gave the defendant another bite at the apple in David P. v. United Healthcare by remanding Employee Retirement Income Security Act claims for reprocessing, but the statute lacks any provision authorizing remands of ERISA cases, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Insurers, Prepare For Large Exposures From PFAS Claims
With thousands of lawsuits concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances pending across the country, several large settlements already reached, and both regulators and the plaintiffs bar increasingly focusing on PFAS, it is becoming clear that these "forever chemicals" present major exposures to insurers and their policyholders, say Scott Seaman and Jennifer Arnold at Hinshaw.
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Groundbreaking Nev. Law May Alter Insurance Landscape
The Nevada Legislature recently passed a law prohibiting insurers from issuing liability policies with eroding limits provisions that has the potential to create massive shifts in the marketplace — and specifically in areas like professional liability, cyber, and directors and officers insurance, says Will Bennett at Saxe Doernberger.
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Online Purchase Insurance: Regulatory Issues To Watch For
Before offering insurance on consumer transactions, otherwise known as embedded insurance, merchants and insurance producers should be aware of a few regulatory issues and have a multistate compliance strategy in place, say Fred Garsson and Kara Pike at Saul Ewing.
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To Survive Scrutiny, Banks Should Craft Careful D&O Policies
With banks and their boards facing intensified — and potentially costly — scrutiny after this spring’s bank failures, risk managers can prepare for potential shareholder demands, lawsuits or regulatory probes by designing a robust and targeted directors and officers coverage program, say Jose Lua-Valencia and Jesse Vazquez at Pillsbury.
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Insurance Insights From 5th Circ. Blue Bell Coverage Ruling
The Fifth Circuit's recent ruling that denied Blue Bell insurance coverage for the defense costs incurred from a shareholder lawsuit underscores the importance of coordination of different coverages and policies across programs, and the potential perils of seeking recovery for losses under nontraditional policies, say Geoffrey Fehling and Casey Coffey at Hunton.
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BIPA, Meta Pixel Suits Could Reshape Cybersecurity Litigation
Businesses and attorneys should watch several pending electronic privacy cases that revolve around disclosure of protected personal information and health data, which may shape how courts handle damages and class actions in the future of cybersecurity litigation, say Kelly Johnson and Melanie Condon at Goldberg Segalla.
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Insurance Coverage For ChatGPT Legal Fiasco: A Hypothetical
William Passannante at Anderson Kill draws on the recent case of an attorney sanctioned by the Southern District of New York for submitting a ChatGPT-authored brief to discuss what the insurance coverage for the attorney's hypothetical claim might look like.
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Insurance Implications Of High Court Affirmative Action Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina will likely result in more litigation related to hiring practices, with implications for insurance coverage, meaning policyholders must remain wary of exclusions and other potential roadblocks, say attorneys at Pillsbury.
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What The ESG Divide Means For Insurers And Beyond
The debate around ESG is becoming increasingly polarized, with some states passing legislation that prohibits the use of ESG factors and others advancing affirmative legislation, highlighting the importance for insurers and other companies to understand this complex legal landscape, say Scott Seaman and Bessie Daschbach at Hinshaw.
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2 Years Later: TransUnion's Impact On Data Breach Litigation
In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark TransUnion decision, plaintiffs have sought to bypass the effects of the ruling — which poses a significant impediment to large data breach class actions and uncertainty for cyber insurers — through various clever pleading forms, say Jason Fagelman and Sarah Cornelia at Norton Rose, and Amanda Thai at Beazley.
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Insurance Considerations For State Biometric Privacy Claims
As Connecticut and Colorado join the growing number of states that have enacted biometric data privacy acts auguring significant damages, in-house counsel thinking about insurance coverage for privacy liability should consider several key factors including clarity of exclusions, say Peter Halprin and Tae Andrews at Pasich.