A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
Interpreting Louisiana law, the Fifth Circuit determined that damages for mental anguish were properly awarded based on the insurer's bad faith. See Dickerson v. Lexington Ins. Co., 2008 WL 5295389 (5th Cir. Dec. 22, 2008).
The insured's home was extensively damaged by Hurricane Katrina. He held a homeowner's policy issued by Lexington. The insured…
Most of our prior posts regarding the efficient proximate cause doctrine arise from cases in Mississippi and Louisiana, two states heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina. See, e.g. posts here, here, and here. Considering some creative arguments, the Sixth Circuit recently weighed in on the applicability of the efficient proximate cause doctrine under Michigan…
In a decision policy holders will appreciate, the Washington Supreme Court recently held the insured could pursue bad faith claims for delay in processing the claim even when there is no coverage under the policy. See St. Paul Fire and Marine Ins. Co. v. Onvia, Inc., 2008 Wash. LEXIS 1055 (Wash. Nov. 26, 2008).
The…
Two recent cases address a homeowner's ability to sue for an incorrect flood zone determination. Both cases confirmed the homeowner has no private cause of action under the National Flood Insurance Program for an alleged inaccurate flood determination. The door was left open, however, for state, common law claims under Mississippi law.
In the…
The Supreme Court recently granted certiorari in Travelers Indemnity Co. v. Baily, Case No. 08-295 (cert. granted Dec. 12, 2008). Although Travelers is a bankruptcy case, it addresses whether a settlement with an insured and its insurers bars future direct action claims against the insurance companies.
The insured, Johns-Manville Corporation, was reorganized in 1986 under protection of the…
Our post last week (here) discussed Corban v. USAA, a case before Mississippi Supreme Court presenting an opportunity for the court to address the validity of the anti-concurrent causation clause under state law. Subsequently, slabbed.com, a Mississippi based-blog, put up a post (here) with additional background on the Corban case, including some of…
If an insured fails to cooperate with the insurer's attempt to defend, what must the insurer do to disclaim coverage? In Continental Casualty Co. v. Stradford, 2008 N.Y. LEXIS 3387 (N.Y. Ct. App. Nov. 25, 2008), the court considered whether the insurer's disclaimer to an uncooperative insured was timely.
The insured was a dentist …
A case before the Mississippi Supreme Court asks whether the anti-concurrent causation clause in homeowners policies is ambiguous. See Corban v. United Services Automobile Association, No. 2008-M-645 (Miss.). The appeal criticizes and asks the Mississippi court to depart from holdings in the trio of Hurricane Katrina cases decided by the Fifth Circuit: …
Insurancelawhawaii.com celebrates its one year anniversary today. A majority of blogs fold within one year, so we apparently beat the odds.
It has been an interesting, informative year of blogging. We strive to keep abreast of insurance developments in Hawai`i and elsewhere in order to fill space in this corner.
Co-founder and fellow author Robert Harris recently left …
A property policy's limitation on mold coverage was challenged in MMI Reality Serv., Inc. v. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins. Co.,Civ . No. 07-00466, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 93653 (D. Haw. Nov. 17, 2008).
Kahala Mall in Honolulu suffered flood damage after the severe rains of March 2006. The Mall was insured by Westchester…
