Affirming the district court, the Eighth Circuit found that deteriorated bags which unintentionally mixed with landscaping materials did not amount to property damage under the CGL policy. Decker Plastics Corp. v. West Bend Mut. Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 2085 (8th Cir. Jan. 29, 2018). The district court's decision was the
Insurer’s Motion to Dismiss Complaint for Collapse Coverage Fails
The insurer's motion for summary judgment seeking dismissal of the insured's claim for collapse coverage was rejected by the Supreme Court of New York. Parauda v. Encompass Ins. Co. of Am., 2018 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 269 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Jan. 25, 2018).
The insureds submitted a claim to Encompass for
Limited Fees Awarded to Insured After Partial Victory Over Insurer
The Federal District Court, District of Hawaii, overruled the insured's objections to the Magistrate Judge's Findings and Recommendations awarding partial fees. Hanover Ins. Co. v. Anova Food, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEIXS 11493 (D. Haw. Jan. 24, 2018).
A prior post set forth the background of the case. In a
We Discuss Cyber Coverage
Our panel addressed cyber coverage at tiday’s ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee’s meeting My distinguished colleagues- Demetrius Rush, Karin Aldama, Jamie Carsey and Rina Carmel
Claim for Punitive Damages Against Agent Should Go to Jury
The Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's granting the insurance agent's Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law on the insured's claim for punitive damages. Fuche Corporation, Inc. v. Leung, et al., 2018 Haw. App. LEXIS 37 (Haw. App. LEXIS Feb. 8, 2018).
Fuche Corporation sued
ABA Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Conference
The ABA's Incurance Coverage Litigation Committee Conference will be conducted this week in Tucson, AZ, from February 28 to March 3, 2018. As always, many cutting edge topics will be addressed by panels consisting of lawyers, judges, and professionals from the insurance industry. The conference schedule is here.
My panel
Duty to Defend Owed From Date of Window Installation Even Absent Allegations As To When Property Damage Occurred
In a long-standing dispute between a window manufacturer and its insurer, the federal district court found that the insurer was obligated to pay defense costs from the date of installation of the alleged faulty windows even though the underlying complaints did not allege when the damage occurred. Pella Corp. v. Liberty Mut. Ins.
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
No Coverage Defenses After Two-Year Delay to Appear In Declaratory Judgment Action
The federal district court found that the insurer was estopped from asserting coverage defenses after taking no action for two years before appearing in a declaratory judgment action filed by the insured. Sentinel Ins. Co. v. Walsh Constr. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6487 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 16, 2018).
Walsh
Construction Defect Claim Must Be Defended Under Florida Law
The Eleventh Circuit found that the insured caused property damage to areas beyond its own work, obligating the insurer to defend. Addison Ins. Co. v. 4000 Island Blvd. Condo. Ass'n, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 26870 (11th Cir. Dec. 28, 2017).
The condominium association contracted with Poma Construction Corp. to replace