The Ninth Circuit, relying upon the Washington Supreme Court's response to a certified question (prior post here] found that the insurer was bound by the agent's certificate of insurance identifying an additional insured. T-Mobile USA Inc. v. Selective Ins. Co of Am., 787 Fed. Appx. 395 (9th Cir. Dec. 9, 2019).
Additional Insured
Insurer Waives Challenge to Hourly Rates, Ordered to Pay All Defense Costs
After ignoring a prior order to pay fees, the insurer was ordered again to pay the total fees incurred without challenge to defense counsel's hourly rates. Chelsea Piers, L.P. v. Colony Ins. Co., 2019 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 6333 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Nov. 25, 2019).
Chelsea Piers was an additional insured…
Insurer’s Attempt to Strike Experts in Collapse Case Fails
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…
Insurer Must Defend Additional Insured Though Its Insured is a Non-Party
The plaintiff insurer's motion for partial summary judgment seeking an order that defendant insurer was obligated to defend a non-party as an additional insured was granted. Am Empire Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. Burlington Ins. Co., 2019 N. Y. Misc. LEXIS 4145 (N. Y. Sup. Ct. July 25, 2019).
Quality…
Care, Custody and Control Exclusion Does Not Bar Coverage For Alleged Construction Defects
Reversing the lower court, the California Court of Appeal found that the care, custody and control exclusion was not applicable to bar coverage for the general contractor as the additional insured under the subcontractor's policy. McMillin Homes Constr. v. Nat'l Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 2019 Cal. App. LEXIS 514 (Cal. Ct.
Non-compliance With Endorsement Means No Indemnity Coverage
The insured's failure to verify that subcontractors had CGL policies and to provide a contract stating that the subcontractors would indemnify the insured as required by the policy's endorsement meant there was no coverage for the insured. Cincinnati Spec. Underwriters Ins. Co. v. Milionis Constr., Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 199658 (E.D.
Certified Question Asks Washington Supreme Court Whether Insurer is Bound by Contradictory Certificate of Insurance
The Ninth Circuit certified a question to the Washington Supreme Court as follows:
Under Washington law, is an insurer bound by representations made by its authorized agent in a certificate of insurance with respect to a party's status as an additional insured under a policy issued by the insurer, when the certificate includes language disclaiming
…
Defense Owed To Additional Insured General Contractor
The Illinois Court of Appeals reversed summary judgment entered for the insurer and found the general contractor, an additional insured under the policy, was entitled to a defense. Hastings Mut. Ins. Co. v. Blinderman Constr. Co., Inc., 2017 Ill. App. LEXIS 661 (Ill. Ct. App. Oct. 24, 2017).
Blinderman was…
Additional Insured Not Entitled to Cumis Counsel When Pursuing Cross-Claim Against Insurer
The insured contractor was not entitled to independent Cumis counsel despite suing the insurer in a cross-claim. Centex Homes v. St. Palu Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 2018 Cal. App. LEXIS 45 (Cal. Ct. App. Jan. 22, 2018).
Homeowners sued Centex Homes for construction defects. Centex tendered defense of the suit to…
Misread of Other Insurance Clause Becomes Costly for Insurer
One insurer's refusal to defend based upon its "other insurance" provision ultimately meant the insurer had to pay all of the insured's defense costs. Steadfast Ins. Co. v. Greenwich Ins. Co., 2018 Wis. App. LEXIS 51 (Wis. Ct. App. Jan. 17, 2018).
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) was a government…