A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
The Illinois Appellate Court held that there was no coverage for faulty workmanship causing damage to property, but there was coverage for damage to personal property. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London v. Metropolitan Builders, Inc., Ill. App. LEXIS 979 (Ill. Ct. App. Dec. 18, 2019).
Metropolitan was the general contractor…
The Eighth Circuit faced unusual facts in determining that the collapse of a cave serving as a storage facility was not covered under the policy. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. Interstate Underground Warehouse & Storage, Inc., 2020 U. S. App. LEXIS 83 8th Cir. Jan. 3, 2020).
Interstate operated…
Accepting the insured's amended complaint, the federal district court of Hawaii remanded the coverage action to state court. Hale v. Lloyd's, London, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9061 (D. Haw. Jan. 17, 2020).
Hale purchased a policy for his home in Hilo, Hawaii, from Defendant Pyramid Insurance Centre. The policy was…
The Florida Record reports that an insurance association has urged the Florida legislature to not recognize the recently issued Restatement of the Law, Liability Insurance (RLLI). The post is here.
The American Law Institute (ALI) authored the RLLI, published in 2019. The ALI is a leading independent organization in…
The Eleventh Circuit agreed that a sophisticated phishing scheme that persuaded an employee to wire money to a foreign bank account was a direct physical loss covered under a commercial crime policy. Principle Solutions Group, LLC v. Ironshore Indemn., Inc.,2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 36350 (11th Cir. Dec, 9, 2019).
At…
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). …
A bill prohibiting the use of anti-concurrent causation clauses in homeowners' insurance policies has been introduced before the New Jersey legislature. The bill is here.
Under an anti-concurrent causation clause, the policy bars coverage if two perils (i.e., wind and water damage) contribute to a loss and one peril is…
The Vermont Supreme Court reversed the trial court's decision for collapse coverage. Commercial Constr. Endeavors, Inc. v. Ohio Sec. Ins. Co., 2019 Vt. LEXIS 173 (Vt. Sup. Ct. Dec. 13,2019).
Commercial Construction Endeavors, Inc. (CCE) built a livestock barn. By late December 2014, the barn was partially complete, with the…
The federal district court for the district of Hawaii determined that the insurer could recover defense costs from an additional insured consistent with its Reservation of Rights letter under an unjust enrichment theory. Giga, Inc. v. Kiewit Infrastructure W. Co., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10151 (D. Haw. Jan. 22, 2020).
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HB No. 2320, a revision to the Hawaii Insurance Code to regulate public adjusters, has been introduced before the Hawaii Legislature. The bill is here.
The bill would require a public adjuster to enter a written contract for services which would, among other things, describe the loss and its location…
