A commentary on insurance coverage issues in Hawaii and beyond
The court granted the insurer's motion for summary judgment, confirming there was no duty to defend or indemnify a construction defect claim against the insured. Fontaine Bros. v. Acadia Ins. Co., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148056 (D. Mass. Aug. 29, 2019).
The City of Worcester contracted with Fontaine Brothers, Inc.
The Fifth Circuit certified a question to the Texas Supreme Court about the use of extrinsic evidence in determining the insurer's duty to defend. State Farm Lloyds v. Richards, et al, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 27221 (5th Cir. Sept. 9, 2019).
The insureds' grandson was killed in an all-terrain vehicle…
The plaintiff insurer's motion for partial summary judgment seeking an order that defendant insurer was obligated to defend a non-party as an additional insured was granted. Am Empire Surplus Lines Ins. Co. v. Burlington Ins. Co., 2019 N. Y. Misc. LEXIS 4145 (N. Y. Sup. Ct. July 25, 2019).
Quality…
The court determined that there was a duty to defend despite the insurer's contention that no "occurrence" or "bodily injury" had been alleged. Zurich Am. Ins. Co. v. Electricity Main, LLC, 2019 U.S. App LEXIS 18074 (1st Cir. June 17, 2019).
Electricity Maine, LLC had a D&O policy with Zurich.
Reversing the lower court, the California Court of Appeal found that the care, custody and control exclusion was not applicable to bar coverage for the general contractor as the additional insured under the subcontractor's policy. McMillin Homes Constr. v. Nat'l Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 2019 Cal. App. LEXIS 514 (Cal. Ct.
The Supreme Court for West Virginia determined the policy's contractual assumption exclusion barred coverage for the general contractor based upon claims of faulty workmanship. J.A. St & Assocs. v. Bitco Gen. Ins. Corp., 2019 W. Va. LEXIS 205 (May 1, 2019).
J.A. Street & Associates, Inc. entered a contract with…
The Illinois Court of Appeals found the subcontractor was owed a defense for alleged property damage caused by its faulty workmanship, but outside its scope of work. Acuity Ins. Co. v. 950 W. Huron Condo. Ass'n, 2019 Ill. App. LEXIS 208 (Ill. Ct. App. March 29, 2019).
The condominium association…
The Michigan Court of Appeals found there was no coverage for a lawsuit filed against the insureds for faulty workmanship. Skanska United States Bldg. v M.A.P. Mech. Contrs., 2019 Mich App. LEXIS 529 (Mich. Ct. App. March 19, 2019).
Contractor Skanska United States Building was the construction manager on a…
The Federal District Court for the District of Hawaii found bodily injury suffered in a boating accident was barred under the policy's Watercraft and Events Exclusions. Great Divide Ins. Co. v. Hawaiian Kamali`i, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43106 (D. Haw. March 15, 2019).
The Hawaiian Canoe Club (HCC) hosted and…
The court determined that the non-participating insurer must reimburse the insurer who defended. Steadfast Ins. Co. v. Greenwich Ins. Co., 2019 Wisc. LEXIS 9 (Wis. Jan. 25, 2019).
Historic rains hit Milwaukee in June 2008, overwhelming the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District's (MMSD) sewage system. Raw sewage backed up into 8,000…
