2026

The federal district court denied the public adjuster’s challenge to the policy provision prohibiting insureds from retaining public adjusters. Barbato v. Interstate Fire & Cas. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 259094 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 15, 2025).

North Jersey Public Adjusters, Inc. (NJPA) alleged the insurer issued a policy to the insured covering the insured’s apartment

My colleague, Karin Aldama of Gallagher & Kennedy in Phoenix, and I facilitated a lunch round table discussion today at the ABA’s Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee seminar. We addressed “When Does Fraud Vitiate My Policy?”

Applying Texas law, the federal district court found there was no coverage for damage to the insured’s commercial building due to the bursting of frozen pipes. Barona v. State Farm Lloyds, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 257379 (S.D. Texas Dec. 12, 2025).

Freezing weather froze Barona’s plumbing fixtures, causing significant water damage to the commercial property

The federal district court granted the insurer’s motion for summary judgment after finding there was no coverage based upon the policy’s assault and battery exclusion. Cincinnati Specialty Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Mainline Private Security, LLC, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 259938. (E.D. Pa. Dec. 26, 2025)

Mainline Private Security, LLC provided security guard services to

After the insurer denied coverage for a massive computer outage, the insured prevailed on a motion for summary judgment seeking an interpretation of the cyber policy. Southwest Airlines Co. v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters Inc., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 272540 (N.D. Texas Dec. 2, 2025).

Southwest suffered a systemwide computer failure in July 2016. The

The Hawaii Supreme Court affirmed the Circuit Court’s denial of the insurers’ motion to intervene in the class settlement proceedings finding the insurers did not have a protectable interest. Burnes, et al.v. Hawaiian Electric Co., Inc,, et al., SCAP-25-0000531 (Haw. Feb. 10, 2026).

Following the Maui fires, a class action suit and individual suits were

The federal district court granted the insurer’s motion to compel arbitration of a claim by the policy’s additional insured. New Land Interiors Corp. v. Kinsale Ins. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 257473 (S.D. N. Y. Dec. 12, 2025).

New Land Interiors Corporation was sued for negligence in state court. New Land was an additional

The magistrate judge denied the insured’s motion to exclude the insurer’s bad faith expert. Southwest Airlines Co. v. Liberty Ins. Underwriters Inc., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 235109 (N.D. Texas Dec. 2, 2025).

Southwest suffered a computer system failure that disrupted its flight schedule for three days in July 2016 and caused flight cancelations or