The insurer's efforts to exclude two of the insured's experts in a collapse case were unsuccessful. Hudon Specialty Ins. Co. v. Talex Enterprises, LLC, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 150148 (S.D. Miss. Sept. 4, 2019).
The insureds' building collapsed. The remaining portions of the building required immediate stabilization. The insureds hired
The court granted the insurer's motion for summary judgment, confirming there was no duty to defend or indemnify a construction defect claim against the insured. Fontaine Bros. v. Acadia Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148056 (D. Mass. Aug. 29, 2019).
The City of Worcester contracted with Fontaine Brothers, Inc.
My partner and blogging colleague [blog here] at Damon Key, Robert Thomas, received a well-deserved appointment this week. Robert will serve as a new member of the American Law Institute and will bring his expertise to ALI. ALI clarifies the law through Restatement, Principles, and Model Codes. Among his many talents, Robert
The Fifth Circuit certified a question to the Texas Supreme Court about the use of extrinsic evidence in determining the insurer's duty to defend. State Farm Lloyds v. Richards, et al, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 27221 (5th Cir. Sept. 9, 2019).
The insureds' grandson was killed in an all-terrain vehicle
Facing yet another collapse claim based upon alleged poorly mixed cement, the Federal District Court in Connecticut denied the insurer's motion to dismiss. Oliveria v. Safeco Ins Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147256 (D. Conn. Aug. 29, 2019).
In 1993, the insureds' purchased their home that had been built in
I was honored to be a panel member at the recent Hawaii State Bar Association convention for the Insurance Coverage Section. I spoke on coverage for flood, volcanoes, and climate change.
The Hawaii federal district court denied the pro se plaintiff's motion to dismiss his claim against the carrier without prejudice. Greenspon v. AIG Specialty Ins. Co., et al., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144148 (D. Haw. Aug. 23, 2019).
Greenspon secured a default judgment against AIG's insured in state court in
The Federal District Court for Hawaii granted Moa Insurance Services Hawaii's (Moa) motion to dismiss the insureds' complaint alleging that they had been forced to purchase worthless surplus lines policies for volcano damage. Aquilina v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's Syndicate #2003, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 165866 (D. Haw. Sept. 26, 2019).
The insured's claim for fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) for seeking coverage under a flood policy was rejected. Hampson v. Wright Nat'l Flood Ins. Co., No. 4:19-cv-10083-KMM (S.D. Fla. Aug. 11, 2019)(Order on Motion to Dismiss). The order is here.
The insurer did not compensate
In an issue of first impression in Hawaii, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that an insurer's actions before an actual claim is submitted can be considered in determining whether the insurer acted in bad faith. Adams v. Hawaii Medical Service Ass'n, 2019 Haw. LEXIS 263 (Haw. Sept 30, 2019). Disclosure – our
