A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
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 complaint alleged collapse, but the claimed cause of the collapse was not a covered cause under the insured's policy, mandating a dismissal of the complaint. Coonce v. CSSA Fire & Cas. Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 25010 (10th Cir. Sept. 4, 2018).
The ceiling in the insured's living…
The federal district court predicted the California Supreme Court would find the definition of collapse, calling for the abrupt falling down or caving in of a building or part of a building, to be ambiguous. Hoban v. Nova Cas. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139116 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 15, 2018).
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The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision finding the policy's collapse coverage did not apply. Cmty. Garage v. Auto-Owners Ins. Co., 2018 Mich. App. LEXIS 2680 (Mich. Ct. App. June 19, 2018).
The insured operated a truck repair business. In June 2016, the insured's place of business…
The insurer unsuccessfully moved to dismiss portions of the insureds' counterclaim based upon prior knowledge. Hudson Spec. Ins. Co. v. Talex Enter., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 105598 (S. D. Miss. June 25, 2018).
The insureds' building collapsed in McComb, Mississippi. Pubic utilities were damaged and traffic disrupted. The City sued…
In yet another collapse case from Connecticut, the federal district court denied the insurer's motion to dismiss. Maki v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 102708 (D. Conn. June 20, 2018).
In February 2016, the insureds noticed a series of cracks throughout the basement walls of their home. The…
Faced with a series of policies, earlier ones which did not define collapse, newer policies which did, the court determined there was a possibility of coverage under the older policies which did not define collapse. Vera v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100548 (D. Conn. June 15, 2018).…
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.
Connecticut courts have been swamped with cases seeking coverage for collapse caused by faulty cement. In a recent decision, the federal district court asked the Connecticut Supreme Court to determine what constitutes substantial impairment of structural integrity for applying the collapse provision of a policy. Karas v. Liberty Ins. Corp., 2018 US.
The insurer's motion for summary judgment to establish there was no coverage for the collapse of the front wall in the insured's home was denied. Desvarieux v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 2018 US. Dist. LEXIS 71230 (E.D. Pa. April 26, 2018).
After the front wall collapsed, a claim…
