Property
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April 11, 2025
Mercedes Settles Fire Coverage Dispute With Insurer
The insurer of an Ann Arbor, Michigan, property has settled a dispute over whether its policy covered more than $1 million in damages stemming from a vehicle fire at a facility leased by Mercedes-Benz's North American research arm, according to a federal court order dismissing the case Friday.
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April 10, 2025
Calif. FAIR Plan Denying Wildfire Smoke Coverage, Suit Says
California's "insurer of last resort" has been illegally underpaying or denying smoke damage coverage to homeowners affected by January's Los Angeles-area wildfires, leaving property owners with uninhabitable homes and at risk of serious health issues related to toxin exposure, homeowners alleged in a complaint filed Thursday in California state court.
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April 10, 2025
DeSantis Urges Relief For Condo Owners Amid New Fla. Laws
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis renewed calls for state lawmakers to provide condominium owners relief from financial burdens resulting from new state requirements, while slamming a proposal in the state House of Representatives that he said favors developers seeking to buy out associations.
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April 10, 2025
Arbitration Stands In La. Condo's Hurricane Damage Case
A Louisiana federal judge has refused to reconsider his order compelling arbitration of a $4.9 million insurance claim over Hurricane Ida damage to a New Orleans condominium complex in light of new guidance from the state's top court.
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April 10, 2025
Pet Insurer Exec Shares Insight On Double-Digit Growth
The pet insurance industry is experiencing large amounts of growth, both in policies purchased and the cost of premiums, a trend which Brian Jorgensen, the CEO of MetLife Pet Insurance, attributes to owners spending more time with their animals and veterinary costs, respectively. Here, Jorgensen chats with Law360 about the growing pet insurance market.
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April 10, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Insurers lost their subrogation bid over a ransomware attack against software company Blackbaud, carriers accused a California utility of causing one of this year's wildfires, Meta prevailed in an insurance coverage forum battle over numerous underlying injury claims, and the Ninth Circuit partially reversed a lower court's duty-to-defend decision.
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April 10, 2025
Ga. Tort Reform Promises Relief From Insurance Industry Ills
Georgia is on the cusp of enacting major reforms to its tort claims system that aim to reduce outsize jury awards and other expenses contributing to rising liabilities, which carriers and policyholders hope will relieve strains on the insurance industry.
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April 10, 2025
Colo. Supreme Court Rejects Fire Plaintiffs' Trial Opt-Out Bid
The Colorado Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge to a judge's plan for a single liability trial on thousands of consolidated claims alleging Xcel Energy and two telecom companies are responsible for a 2021 wildfire.
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April 09, 2025
Fla. Investigator Sued Over Tossed Insurance Fraud Cases
A Florida man accused of home insurance fraud and who later had his cases tossed by for lack of evidence has sued the criminal investigator who referred the charges, alleging a false set of facts that were negligently provided to state attorneys led to his malicious prosecution.
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April 08, 2025
4th Circ. Won't Revisit Ambiguous Endorsement Ruling
The Fourth Circuit on Monday declined to review its ruling that a South Carolina district court erred by finding that an endorsement unambiguously applied to cap an aluminum supplier's insurance recovery for a fire loss at $10 million.
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April 08, 2025
Contractor's Win In Insurance Fraud Suit Upheld By 6th Circ.
A Sixth Circuit panel affirmed Continental Building Co.'s defeat of a lawsuit that leveled insurance fraud claims at the general contractor, finding a subcontractor failed to trace its losses to Continental's claim that it defaulted on a contract.
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April 08, 2025
Design Co. Denied Exit From Hurricane Subrogation Suit
A design contractor facing a $4 million subrogation action over hurricane damage to commercial HVAC units at an Amazon sorting facility can't rely on notice requirements in Florida's construction defect law, Chapter 558, to argue the plaintiff insurers are statutorily barred from seeking reimbursement, a Florida federal court ruled.
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April 08, 2025
Uber's Crash Coverage Bid 'Too Little, Too Late,' Insurer Says
An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify Uber in five underlying personal injury suits, telling a New York federal court that the company's bid for coverage is "too little, too late" because the active negligence claims don't trigger coverage and the request was not timely.
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April 07, 2025
Pa. Supreme Court Snapshot: Electric Bills, Jock Tax
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will open its three-day session in Pittsburgh Tuesday with arguments over how to weigh when a coworker or co-owner shares in an employer's immunity from lawsuits under the state's workers' compensation law, and if electricity providers can get additional services put on the utility bills drawn up by power distributors.
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April 07, 2025
9th Circ. Partially Reverses LA Port Co.'s Coverage Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Monday held that United National Insurance Company was obligated to defend a Los Angeles Port operator against pollution claims brought by the city, but said a district judge deprived the insurer of a jury trial on the operator's claimed defense costs due to the breach of contract.
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April 07, 2025
Conn. High Court Snapshot: Atty's 'Double' ID Theft Damages
When it convenes for its next term, Connecticut's highest court will weigh whether an attorney whose identity was stolen can skirt a panel's ruling that he is not entitled to a "double recovery" of damages, and it will consider an insurance agent's responsibilities when a policyholder's coverage is canceled.
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April 04, 2025
Insurers Accuse SoCalEdison Of Sparking Eaton Fire
Ten carriers blamed Southern California Edison for costing the insurance industry billions after negligently starting the January Eaton Fire, telling a California state court that the blaze was caused by a poorly maintained transmission tower whose wires arced, igniting vegetation.
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April 04, 2025
Insurance Co. Can't Nix Religious Bias Suit Over Vax Mandate
A Rhode Island federal judge declined to toss an insurance company worker's suit claiming he was illegally fired for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 for religious reasons, ruling he showed his faith was sincere enough to keep his claims in court.
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April 03, 2025
DC Climate Insurance Event Highlights Need For Acute Action
A group of leading insurance industry regulatory and policy experts convened in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, expressing a need for greater collaboration and resources in order to quickly scale up eco-friendly insurance products and business practices.
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April 03, 2025
NY Ghost Gun Win Adds To Concerns Of CGL Policy Breadth
A New York federal court's ruling that an AIG unit isn't obligated to defend a Washington state firearms retailer accused of knowingly selling unfinished components that could be used to assemble "ghost guns" underscored policyholder attorneys' concerns that commercial general liability coverage continues to narrow, as insurers tally another win in a dispute over intentional conduct.
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April 03, 2025
NC Panel Scraps Subrogation Suit Over Misidentified Plaintiff
An insurer for a Hardee's restaurant can't revive its subrogation suit over a 2019 fire after it accidentally misnamed itself in the complaint, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled, finding the incorrectly identified plaintiff lacked standing to sue, and the complaint was a "nullity."
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April 03, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
An AIG unit needn't defend a firearms retailer accused of contributing to gun violence by selling "ghost gun" components, another AIG insurer doesn't owe coverage for a tribe's COVID-19-related losses and a class of Progressive policyholders sought final approval of a $43 million vehicle settlement over vehicle valuations. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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April 03, 2025
CGL Loss Hikes Highlight Underwriting, Tort Reform Efforts
Liability premiums continue to rise as a result of insurers' escalating loss trends, according to insurance broker Lockton's quarterly market update, and as social inflation continues to impact the United States' market, industry experts heed Lockton's concerns over stricter underwriting practices and the debate surrounding tort reform.
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April 02, 2025
Fla. High Court Told Condo's Irma Claim Redo Lacked Key Info
An insurance company told the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday that a Miami condominium's reopened claim for damage caused by Hurricane Irma wasn't sufficient to trigger a supplemental claim, arguing that state law required additional information regarding the initial loss.
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April 02, 2025
Mo. Court Finds Ambiguity Could Permit Virus Coverage
A vacation rental company may be entitled to coverage for pandemic-related losses from one insurer, a Missouri intermediate appellate court held, finding that an exception conflicting with an exclusion created ambiguity in favor of the insured, while upholding no-coverage rulings pertaining to other insurers.

Rising Type Of M&A Coverage Can Limit Cyber Risk, Pros Say
Conditions in the market for cyber insurance are positive for buyers, and insurance meant to protect against mergers and acquisitions improprieties can form a key part of transactions as cyber risks increase, industry and legal professionals said Thursday.

Insurance Pros Size Up Major Industry Risks At NYC Forum
The influence of litigation financing, artificial intelligence and climate change on insurance law were among key topics this week as insurance experts discussed the biggest risks in the property and casualty space. Here, Law360 breaks down highlights of remarks by attorneys and industry experts at the Practising Law Institute in New York.

Amid New Political Reality, NAIC Says No Fed Insurance Office
State insurance regulators made a significant push to limit perceived federal intrusion into their authority last week when their primary deliberative body called for the abolition of a U.S. Treasury office tasked with identifying and reporting on risks to the industry.
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.