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In jurisdictions that impose on an insurer a common-law duty of good faith and fair dealing and a statutory duty not to act vexatiously or unreasonably, an insurer may be found to have violated one duty even if it did not violate the other. The Eighth Circuit recently handed down a ruling serving as an example of this principle. In Tripp v. Western National Mutual Insurance Co., the Court of Appeals affirmed post-judgment relief based on South Dakota’s statutory prohibition against unreasonable or vexatious behavior by an insurer.   …
Read More Client Advisory – Federal Court of Appeals Affirms Statutory Bad-Faith Liability Imposed on Insurer Despite Jury’s Refusal to Find Liability for Common-Law Bad Faith

By March 1, 2012, companies with personal information of Massachusetts residents must amend their existing contracts with vendors that handle such information to require the vendors’ compliance with the Massachusetts data security regulations. …
Read More Client Advisory – March 1 Deadline for Companies and Vendors with Massachusetts Personal Information

In Mary Harvey v. Motor Insurers’ Bureau (QBD (Merc) (Manchester), Claim No: 0MA40077, 21 December 2011), the High Court held that it was not appropriate to grant leave to appeal an arbitrator’s decision that the victim of a road traffic accident was not entitled to compensation for personal injury under s.69 the Arbitration Act 1996 (the Act) (s.69 of the Act only allows appeals to be made where the arbitrator has made some error of law). …
Read More UK: High Court Confirms That Bringing Appeals of Fact Disguised as Appeals of Law Under s.69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 Will Not be Entertained

On 12 January 2012, a vote by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on the Omnibus II Directive was delayed until 21 March 2012. When adopted, Omnibus II will make significant changes to the Solvency II Directive. The vote had previously been rescheduled from 20 December 2011 to 24 January 2012. …
Read More EU: Solvency II Faces Possible Further Delay

Recent comments by a UK Commercial Court judge indicate that policyholders are entitled to “spike” their entire liability for a mesothelioma claim into any one year of employers’ liability (EL) cover. Spiking potentially arises where the period of EL cover is shorter than the period of negligent exposure to asbestos. …
Read More UK: Commercial Court in London Comments on “Spiking” Mesothelioma Claims

On December 28, 2011, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (the “Department”) issued Bulletin 11-31 (the “Bulletin”) revising standards for equity indexed annuities (EIA), which are annuity contracts with a value based on performance of a specified equity-based index (or indices).  The Bulletin comes in response to the evolution of EIA product designs, and in light of prevailing low interest rates. …
Read More New Jersey Issues Bulletin Revising Standards for Equity Indexed Annuity Products

As previously reported on InsureReinsure, the State of New York merged its the Insurance and Banking Departments into a new, single agency known as the Department of Financial Services (“DFS”), with new and heightened oversight responsibilities over the financial services industry as a whole.  At the helm of the DFS is the Superintendent of Financial Services, Benjamin M. Lawsky. …
Read More New York Completes Merger of its Insurance and Banking Departments

WHITE HOUSE ISSUES HEALTH REFORM PROGRESS REPORT

In a January 18, 2012 report, the White House stated that all states have “taken some action to implement health reform,” and that 28 states and the District of Columbia are “on their way toward establishing their own Affordable Insurance Exchange.” …
Read More Healthcare Update: White House Issues Health Reform Progress Report; New York Limits Provider Spending for Executive Compensation and Administrative Costs; HHS and Contractor Lag in Development of PPACA Quality Measures