Policyholders See Notable But Limited Win In NC Virus Suit
North Carolina's top court handed policyholders a rare victory last week in finding that the "direct physical loss" requirement for "all-risk" insurance can cover losses connected to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say the ruling's late-in-game arrival will limit its impact.
Insurer Win In Lead Abatement Row A Blow To Policyholders
The Ohio Supreme Court's ruling that insurers for Sherwin-Williams Co. needn't cover the paint-maker's portion of a $305 million settlement to abate lead paint in California marked another win for carriers in public nuisance litigation, as policyholder experts remain unconvinced by the court's evaluation of "damages" in commercial general liability policies.
The 5 Strangest Insurance Cases Of The Year
Insurance protects policyholders from the unforeseen, but some circumstances are so strange that even insurers couldn't have predicted them. While 2022 was wild and 2023 was weird, 2024 saw cases involving bear costumes, cannibalism, vulture infestation, a severe bug problem and a former Allstate employee with animation skills and an alleged vendetta. Here, Law360 looks back on the strangest insurance cases of 2024.
Policyholders See Notable But Limited Win In NC Virus Suit
North Carolina's top court handed policyholders a rare victory last week in finding that the "direct physical loss" requirement for "all-risk" insurance can cover losses connected to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say the ruling's late-in-game arrival will limit its impact.
Insurer Win In Lead Abatement Row A Blow To Policyholders
The Ohio Supreme Court's ruling that insurers for Sherwin-Williams Co. needn't cover the paint-maker's portion of a $305 million settlement to abate lead paint in California marked another win for carriers in public nuisance litigation, as policyholder experts remain unconvinced by the court's evaluation of "damages" in commercial general liability policies.
The 5 Strangest Insurance Cases Of The Year
Insurance protects policyholders from the unforeseen, but some circumstances are so strange that even insurers couldn't have predicted them. While 2022 was wild and 2023 was weird, 2024 saw cases involving bear costumes, cannibalism, vulture infestation, a severe bug problem and a former Allstate employee with animation skills and an alleged vendetta. Here, Law360 looks back on the strangest insurance cases of 2024.
Expert Analysis
In the year since amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence went into effect, many federal judges have applied t... (more story)
In Texas, special appearances provide a useful but often overlooked tool for out-of-state defendants to escape mer... (more story)
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As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent ... (more story)
Property More
This year was a standout for high-profile legal battles in Pennsylvania, from a blockbuster verdict against Monsanto over its Roundup weedkiller to the Philadelphia district attorney's fight with Elon Musk ove... (more story)
The insurance market will likely face regulatory challenges and opportunities in 2025 as regulators on the state and federal level gear up to reverse major trends and tackle emerging developments. Here, Law360... (more story)
United Fire & Casualty Co. reached a settlement in its $1.7 million suit against a Texas sign-making company, resolving its bid to recover funds paid to a bed and breakfast after a fluorescent sign caught fire... (more story)
The Mississippi Supreme Court's ruling affirming a $10 million Hurricane Katrina damages award against USAA emphasized the risk a carrier runs when ignoring evidence while investigating a claim, while an addit... (more story)
The North Carolina Supreme Court handed policyholders a rare win in a COVID-19 coverage suit, the Eleventh Circuit revived a citrus grower's bid for damages and a North Carolina state appeals court threw out a... (more story)
A group of international and domestic insurers asked a Louisiana federal judge to keep in place an order to arbitrate a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, disputing a property owner's argument that state l... (more story)
An insurer told a California federal court that it doesn't owe coverage to an event company accused of failing to provide a safe environment at a fraternity party where a woman said she was sexually assaulted,... (more story)
General Liability More
A Michigan state appeals court has vacated a trial court order finding the insurer for a homeless woman's parents must cover injuries she suffered after being run over by a semitruck, ruling that questions rem... (more story)
A North Carolina appeals court on Tuesday threw out a nearly $29 million judgment against an insurance company in a suit alleging it failed to defend and settle claims from a fatal car accident, saying the com... (more story)
The Michigan Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's decision, finding that the insurers of vehicles damaged during a 2019 semitruck accident were not responsible for paying for a home that was also destroye... (more story)
Two oil and gas companies accused their commercial general liability insurer and certain Lloyd's of London underwriters of denying coverage for a release of waste byproduct in bad faith, telling a New Mexico f... (more story)
A construction company and an excess insurer each sought a pretrial win in Florida federal court over coverage for a demolition subcontractor's faulty work that the construction company said cost more than $2.... (more story)
An insurer told a California federal judge to end Sempra Energy's bid to obtain coverage in connection with a nearly $1.8 billion settlement over the largest natural gas leak in U.S. history, claiming its poli... (more story)
Specialty Lines More
A Georgia federal judge said Allied World Surplus Lines Insurance Co. has no duty to defend a sperm bank that has been sued in Canada and the United States for allegedly selling semen from a donor with genetic abnormalities.
A Texas federal jury rejected an insurer's bid to escape covering a trucking company in an underlying suit over a fire at a saltwater disposal facility that killed one of the company's employees, finding that ... (more story)
OpenText told a Michigan federal court it should be dismissed from an insurer's suit seeking to avoid coverage of a class action from former Covisint shareholders alleging an unfair merger, saying it's not inv... (more story)
Large noneconomic damage awards in personal injury cases have grown exponentially in Texas in recent years, but newly introduced legislation would cap such damages, likely requiring both the plaintiff and defe... (more story)
While holiday movies are known for spreading cheer and inspiring nostalgia, for insurance professionals they may also offer an unlikely, yet fascinating, look at subrogation recovery potential, says Dana Meyer... (more story)
A citrus grower's bid for damages from its insurer in connection with environmental remediation costs was ripe, the Eleventh Circuit said, reviving the case after finding that a Florida district court wrongly ... (more story)
A wood product manufacturer violated federal benefits law when it transferred $1.5 billion of pension obligations to a private equity-backed insurance company, substantially increasing the risk that retirees w... (more story)