Connecticut courts have been inundated with collapse cases the past couple of years due to insureds' living in homes that were constructed with defective concrete manufactured by J.J. Mottes Concrete Company. In a duo of cases, the Connecticut Supreme Court responded to a certified question from the U.S. District Court, holding that collapse
Tred R. Eyerly
Tred once again was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for his work in Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law and Litigation-Insurance. He was also named Best Lawyers® 2022 Litigation Insurance “Lawyer of the Year” in Honolulu. A designation given to a single attorney in each practice group by metropolitan area.
Hawaii Federal District Court Decides Choice of Law Dispute In Insured’s Favor
The federal district court, District of Hawaii, denied the insurers' motion to dismiss a claim asserted by the insured under Nevada's unfair practices statute. Puna Geothermal Venture v. Allianz Global Risks US Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 211661 (D. Haw. Dec. 5, 2019).
Puna Geothermal's power plant was damaged…
Cyber Breach Claim Survives Insurer’s Motion to Dismiss
AIG's Motion to Dismiss the insured's claim based upon a fraudulent transfer of funds was largely denied by the court. SS&C Tech. Holdings v. AIG Spec. Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 194196 (S.D. N. Y. Nov. 6, 2019).
SS&C was a global provider of software and software-enabled services. In…
Insurer Awarded Summary Judgment on Collapse Claim
The Eleventh Circuit agreed with the insurer that there was no coverage for a collapse under the policy. S.O. Beach Corp. v. Great Am. Ins. Co.,2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 32569 (11th Cir. Oct. 31, 2019).
S.O. Beach Corporation and Larios on the Beach, Inc ("Larios") owned a building in Miami…
On to Year Thirteen for Blog
Insurance Law Hawaii hits twelve years of existence this week, 1347 posts later. We started in December 2007. We continue in order to keep up on developing issues in insurance law. We strive to keep readers abreast of new developments in cases from Hawaii and across the country.
Other Damon Key…
Insurer Rejecting Construction Defect Claim Must Share in Defense Costs
One insurer, who accepted the tender of defense in a construction defect case, successfully moved for summary judgment against the second insurer, who denied the insured's tender. Interstate Fire & Cas. v. Aspen Ins. UK Ltd., 2019 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 5800 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Oct. 25,2019).
Standard Waterproofing Corporation was…
Collapse of Breezeway Attached to Building Covered
The federal district court found that a breezeway that collapsed during a party was covered by the commercial property policy. DENC, LLC v. Philadelphia Indem. Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179083 (M.D. N.C. Oct. 15, 2019).
DENC owned an apartment complex that was insured by Philadelphia under an all-risk policy.
Insurer Must Honor Written Representation Made By its Agent in Certificate of Insurance
Answering a certified question from the Ninth Circuit, the Washington Supreme Court responded that an insurer's agent who makes a representation in a certificate of insurance binds the insurer. T-Mobile USA Inc. v. Selective Ins. Co. of Am., 2019 Wash. LEXIS 659 (Wash. Sup. Ct. Oct. 10, 2019).
Two T-Mobile…
Some Insurers Dismissed, Others Are Not in Claims for Faulty Workmanship
The insured Developer survived a motion to dismiss by one of several carriers who were asked to defend against claims for faulty workmanship. East 111 Assoc. LLC v. RLI Ins. Co., 2019 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 5331 (Oct. 4, 2019).
Developers sponsored a residential condominium project and sold all units. The…
Denial of Coverage Reversed, Remanded for Possible Reformation of Policy
The Seventh Circuit reversed and remanded for consideration of reformation of the professional liability policy after the district court found there was no coverage. Crum & Forster Spec. Ins. Co. v. DVO, Inc., 939 F. 3d 852 (7th Cir. 2019).
WTE-S&S AG Enterprise, LLC sued DVO for breach of contract.