Coverage & Claims

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A federal district court judge in Florida recently ruled that an insurer cannot retroactively rescind a liability policy insuring underground storage tanks (“USTs”) for an alleged material misrepresentation in the policy application.  Rather, the only remedy for such a misrepresentation is the denial of coverage for future claims. …
Read More Federal Judge in Florida Rules Underground Storage Tank Policy Cannot Be Rescinded

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California recently held that an insurer breached its duty to defend where the undisputed facts demonstrated that there was a “potential” for coverage under the policy. 

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Read More California District Court Rules That “Duty to Defend” Exists When There Is a “Potential” for Coverage

A Florida federal court recently found that, despite a mold exclusion and anti-concurrent-cause provision in the relevant commercial general liability policy, an insured was entitled to defense and indemnity for claims relating to mold infestation. 

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Read More Florida Federal Court Finds Duty to Defend and Indemnify Mold-Related Claims Despite Policy’s Mold Exclusion and Anti-Concurrent-Cause Provision

A federal district court in Virginia recently ruled that under Virginia law, an insured may not recover punitive damages in connection with a bad faith claim against its insurer.  TIG Insurance Co. v. Alfa Laval, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:07CV683 (E.D.Va., March 5, 2008).  The court explained that under Virginia law, a bad faith action against an insurer is a contract action, not an independent, willful tort for which punitive damages might be appropriate. …
Read More Virginia Federal Court Rules that Punitive Damages Are Unavailable in Insurance Bad Faith Case

Tesco Stores Ltd v Constable & others [2008] EWCA Civ 362 concerned an appeal against an order of Mr Justice Field under which Field J determined that, on a proper construction of a public liability section of a standard project insurance package, Tesco was not entitled to an indemnity in respect of sums that it was liable to pay under the terms of a deed of covenant for economic loss to a third party affected by its activities. 

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Read More English Court of Appeal Affirms a Decision of the High Court Concerning the Interpretation of a Public Liability Insurance

The Supreme Court of Louisiana recently overturned a Katrina-related Louisiana state appellate court decision, and held that an insurer’s flood exclusion was not ambiguous and that coverage could be denied for water damage sustained to an insured’s property on the basis of this exclusion. 

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Read More Louisiana Supreme Court Overturns Prior State Court Decision and Holds that Insurer’s Flood Exclusion is Unambiguous

The Fifth Circuit recently reversed a January 2007 federal district court decision, Broussard v. State Farm, in which Mississippi policyholders, whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, had been awarded their policy limits and $ 1 million in punitive damages against State Farm. …
Read More Fifth Circuit Reverses Katrina Award Against State Farm

The case of John Reilly v National Insurance & Guarantee Corporation Limited [2008] EWHC 722 (Comm) considered whether the failure of a fire extinguishing system was covered under the insured’s public and product liability policy. 

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Read More English Commercial Court gives guidance on the meaning of “machinery” in a public and product liability policy