A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
The court determined the insurer must defend after confusion arose in renewal of the insured's policy. Nat'l Fire & Marine Ins. Co. v. Infini PLC, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1052 (D. Ariz. Jan 3, 2019).
The insured, Infini, was insured by Lexington Insurance Company for medical procedures it performed. Wells…
Answering a certified question, the Nevada Supreme Court determined that an insurer breaching its duty to defend may be liable for consequential damages caused to the insured. Century Sur. Co. c. Andrew, 2018 Nev. LEXIS 112 (Nev. Dec. 13, 2018).
Michael Vasquez struck a minor, causing significant brain injury. Vasquez used the…
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's judgment that the insurer acted in bad faith when it denied the insured's claim based upon misrepresentations in the application after destruction of his house by fire. Hayes v. Metropolitan Pro. and Cas. Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 31813 (8th Cir. Nov. 9, 2018).…
The Court of Common Pleas in Ohio determined that BitCoin was property and denied the insurer's motion for judgment on the pleadings seeking to establish there was limited coverage for the loss. Kimmelman v. Wayne Ins. Group, 2018 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 1953 (Ohio Misc. Sept. 25, 2018).
James Kimmelman submitted…
Reversing the intermediate appellate court, the Florida Supreme Court held the insurer liable for bad faith despite imperfect actions by the insured. Harvey v. GEICO Gen. Ins. Co., 2018 Fla. LEXIS 1705 (Fla. Sept. 20, 2018).
Insured James Harvey was involved in an auto accident in which the other driver…
The insurer was successful on summary judgment in establishing it correctly denied coverage for collapse, but its motion was denied regarding the insureds' bad faith claim. Jones v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153102 (W.D. Wash. Sept. 7, 2018).
The insureds' retaining wall collapsed. They…
The insured's claim for consequential damages survived the insurer's motion to dismiss. Tiffany Tower Condominium, LLC v. Ins. Co. of the Greater N.Y., 2018 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5783 (N.Y. App. Div. Aug. 22, 2018).
Tiffany Tower submitted a claim in November 2012 with Insurance Company of the Great New…
The appellate court reversed a jury verdict for the insured due to improper trial tactics by his attorney. Homeowners Choice Property and Cas. Ins. Co., Inc. v. Kuwas, 2018 Fla. Ct. App. LEXIS 9500 (Fla. Ct. App. July 5, 2018).
The insured sued Homeowners Choice (HCI) alleging breach of contract…
In yet another of the collapse cases being litigated in state and federal courts in Connecticut, the federal district court denied the insurer's motion to dismiss. Rosenberger v. Amica Mut. Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 95345 (D. Conn. June 6, 2018).
The insureds had policies with Amica since 1989.
The California Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's finding of coverage for faulty workmanship allegations and bad faith by the insurer. Pulte Home Corp. v. Am Safety Indem. Co., 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 748 (Cal. Ct. App. Aug. 30, 2017).
Pulte Home Corporation was the general contractor and developer…
