A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
The insurer successfully moved for summary judgment, eliminating the insured’s claim for roof damage due to windstorm. Mulas v. Westchester Surplus Lines Ins. Co., 2026 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20537 (Jan. 30, 2026).
The insureds’ commercial property sustained windstorm damage during Hurricane Ian. Westchester denied the claim. The insureds believed Westchester wrongfully denied coverage for…
The court refused to dismiss the insured’s claim for hail damage based on late notice because the insurer failed to demonstrate it had suffered prejudice. Borene UMC v. Church Mut. Ins. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 210767 (W.D. Texas Oct. 27, 2025).
Boerne UMC owned multiple buildings that were allegedly damaged during a hailstorm…
The federal district court agreed that a challenge to State Farm's practice of depreciating sales tax when calculating actual cash value (ACV) benefits payments to policyholders could go forward as a class action. Pitkin, et al. v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 134948 (July 15, 2025, N.
The insurer's motion to dismiss claims for improper claims handling when considering implementation of depreciation was denied. Morrison v. Indian Harbor Ins. Co, et al., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115664 (S. D. W. Va. July 1, 2024).
Plaintiff's home suffered flood damage. The house was insured by Indian Harbor a…
The district court denied Travelers' motion for summary judgment and granted the insureds' motion in part regarding replacement of roof tiles damaged in a hail storm. Bertisen v. Travelers Home & Marine Ins. Co., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159649 (D. Colo. Sept. 8,2023).
On May 8, 2017, the insureds' home…
The court denied, in part, the insurer's motion for summary judgment that argued the insured made an insufficient showing of entitlement to Actual Cash Value (ACV) payments under the policy. RR Restoration, LLC v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 129388 (M.D. Fla. July 16, 2023).
Amblewood Condominium…
The trial court erred in placing the burden on the policyholder to establish depreciation in determining the actual cash value of the loss. SFR Serv., LLC v. Tower Hill Prime Ins. Co., 2023 Fla. App. LEXIS 3570 (Fla. Ct. App. May 26, 2023).
The insureds' roof was damaged by Hurricane…
Answering a certified question, the South Carolina Supreme Court held that the insurer could calculate actual cash value (ACV) by including an estimate of the depreciation of embedded labor costs. Butler v. Travelers Home & Marine Ins. Co., 2021 S. C. LEXIS 51 (S.C. May 12, 2021).
Two insureds had…
The partial collapse of an exterior brick veneer of an apartment building was found not to be covered under the apartment policy. Keyser v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81194 (W.D. Pa. May 14, 2019).
Norene Keyser was insured by State Farm for a six-unit…
While the insured was able to carry his burden to show the collapse of a roof, he failed to establish damages under the policy. Iannucci v. Allstate Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 203687 (N.D. N.Y. Dec. 3, 2018).
In 2005, the insured purchased a parcel of land together with…
