Property
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April 03, 2025
DC Climate Insurance Event Highlights Need For Acute Action
A group of leading insurance industry regulatory and policy experts convened in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, expressing a need for greater collaboration and resources in order to quickly scale up eco-friendly insurance products and business practices.
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April 03, 2025
NY Ghost Gun Win Adds To Concerns Of CGL Policy Breadth
A New York federal court's ruling that an AIG unit isn't obligated to defend a Washington state firearms retailer accused of knowingly selling unfinished components that could be used to assemble "ghost guns" underscored policyholder attorneys' concerns that commercial general liability coverage continues to narrow, as insurers tally another win in a dispute over intentional conduct.
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April 03, 2025
NC Panel Scraps Subrogation Suit Over Misidentified Plaintiff
An insurer for a Hardee's restaurant can't revive its subrogation suit over a 2019 fire after it accidentally misnamed itself in the complaint, the North Carolina Court of Appeals has ruled, finding the incorrectly identified plaintiff lacked standing to sue, and the complaint was a "nullity."
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April 03, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
An AIG unit needn't defend a firearms retailer accused of contributing to gun violence by selling "ghost gun" components, another AIG insurer doesn't owe coverage for a tribe's COVID-19-related losses and a class of Progressive policyholders sought final approval of a $43 million vehicle settlement over vehicle valuations. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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April 03, 2025
CGL Loss Hikes Highlight Underwriting, Tort Reform Efforts
Liability premiums continue to rise as a result of insurers' escalating loss trends, according to insurance broker Lockton's quarterly market update, and as social inflation continues to impact the United States' market, industry experts heed Lockton's concerns over stricter underwriting practices and the debate surrounding tort reform.
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April 03, 2025
Insurance Pros Size Up Major Industry Risks At NYC Forum
The influence of litigation financing, artificial intelligence and climate change on insurance law were among key topics this week as insurance experts discussed the biggest risks in the property and casualty space. Here, Law360 breaks down highlights of remarks by attorneys and industry experts at the Practising Law Institute in New York.
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April 02, 2025
Fla. High Court Told Condo's Irma Claim Redo Lacked Key Info
An insurance company told the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday that a Miami condominium's reopened claim for damage caused by Hurricane Irma wasn't sufficient to trigger a supplemental claim, arguing that state law required additional information regarding the initial loss.
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April 02, 2025
Mo. Court Finds Ambiguity Could Permit Virus Coverage
A vacation rental company may be entitled to coverage for pandemic-related losses from one insurer, a Missouri intermediate appellate court held, finding that an exception conflicting with an exclusion created ambiguity in favor of the insured, while upholding no-coverage rulings pertaining to other insurers.
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April 02, 2025
Insurer Gets Education Co.'s $2.2M Theft Coverage Bid Tossed
A Maryland federal court tossed an education management company's suit seeking excess coverage for over $2.2 million in employee embezzlement losses, saying the company failed to show its loss occurred during the relevant policy period.
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April 01, 2025
Progressive's $43M Deal Over Car Valuations Nears Final OK
A certified class of more than 151,000 Progressive customers has asked a Georgia federal judge to grant final approval to a $43 million settlement resolving allegations the insurer's units systematically undervalued totaled cars by applying a "projected sold adjustment," and they have sought an attorney fee award of $14.3 million.
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April 01, 2025
Homeowners Premiums Rose 24% In 3 Years, Report Says
Average homeowners insurance premiums in the United States rose by 24% from 2021 to 2024, a national crisis that is putting pressure on Americans with mortgage burdens, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Consumer Federation of America.
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March 31, 2025
Insurer Off The Hook For Tribe's COVID Casino Shutdown
Lexington Insurance Co. does not owe a Washington tribe business-loss coverage after COVID-19 forced the shutdown of the tribe's casino, a Washington state appeals court said Monday, ruling that the virus did not cause direct physical loss or damage to tribal properties.
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March 31, 2025
Insurer Must Cover $2.4M Water Damage, Condo Owners Say
A Washington condo association has filed a federal consumer protection complaint against Country Casualty Insurance Co., alleging $2.4 million in unpaid claims for hidden water damage to exterior sheathing and framing the condo association says is covered by its property insurance policy.
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March 27, 2025
P&C Insurers Return To Profits Amid Economic Uncertainty
Property and casualty insurers collected record-setting profits in 2024, but macroeconomic conditions and other factors threaten to stymie their growth, says a broker and author of a recent report. Here, Law360 speaks to Vince Gaffigan about what drove growth, the looming risks ranging from inflation to catastrophic weather events, and what brokers and insureds should do to ready themselves against an array of uncertainties.
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March 27, 2025
Amid New Political Reality, NAIC Says No Fed Insurance Office
State insurance regulators made a significant push to limit perceived federal intrusion into their authority last week when their primary deliberative body called for the abolition of a U.S. Treasury office tasked with identifying and reporting on risks to the industry.
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March 27, 2025
Ga. Firm Sues Allstate Over Wrecked Car Fee Coverage
A Georgia law firm hit Allstate Insurance Co. with a proposed class action over allegations that it fails to pay title transfer fees and license registration fees to insureds who incur total loss claims.
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March 27, 2025
Insurer Can't Escape Auto Co.'s $50M COVID Coverage Suit
An insurer can't escape an auto parts manufacturer's suit seeking $50 million in coverage for COVID-19-related losses, a North Carolina federal court ruled, saying the manufacturer sufficiently alleged that its losses are covered under the policy's communicable disease endorsement.
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March 27, 2025
AIG Drops Water Damage Suit Against NFL Player's Contractor
An insurer who sued the contractor and plumbers who worked on the home of NFL player Darius Slay for more than $300,000 in water damage dropped the suit Thursday, after the companies never responded to it.
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March 27, 2025
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
An insurer will pay nearly $1 million to resolve claims it failed to protect drivers' data, Michigan's top court will take up two car insurance appeals, the Fifth Circuit was asked to set precedent with an assault coverage ruling and PNC Bank NA can't get coverage for a more than $106 million judgment. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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March 26, 2025
Sotomayor Urges Caution On Nondelegation Doctrine Revamp
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor cautioned her colleagues during oral arguments Wednesday against using a challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's administration of a broadband subsidy program as a way to resurrect the long-dormant nondelegation doctrine. Several conservative justices, however, seemed willing to disregard that admonition.
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March 26, 2025
Ill. Justices Hold WestRock Unit To $5M Superfund Coverage
The Illinois Supreme Court won't hear a WestRock Co. subsidiary's petition for review of an appeals decision affirming that one of its insurers had no duty to cover environmental cleanup costs at a now-shuttered paper mill while another insurer already paid its applicable coverage limit.
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March 26, 2025
Insurance Rep Gets 41 Months For $6M Bank Fraud
A Georgia federal judge sentenced an insurance broker to 41 months in prison after he pled guilty to defrauding a credit union out of $6 million through loans to commercial borrowers for insurance premiums.
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March 25, 2025
Baltimore Bridge Collapse: One Year Later
Federal accident investigators' recent determination that Maryland could've done more to protect Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge from a devastating collapse may complicate the sprawling legal battle over liability and damages in the year since a cargo ship struck the bridge and crippled a major East Coast transportation hub.
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March 25, 2025
Insurers Claim 4th Circ. Must Revisit Ruling For Aluminum Co.
Insurers in a coverage cap dispute with an aluminum company have asked the Fourth Circuit to reconsider an opinion holding that an ambiguous policy provision must be construed in the company's favor, calling it contrary to South Carolina law.
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March 25, 2025
Texas Church Says Insurer Owes Over $1M For Hail Damage
A Texas church said it is owed more than $1 million from its insurer for wind and hail damage after a June 2023 storm, according to a complaint removed to federal court Tuesday.
Expert Analysis
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3 Coverage Tips As 2nd Circ. 'Swipes Left' On Tinder Claim
The Second Circuit's recent opinion in Match Group v. Beazley Underwriting, overturning Tinder's victory on its insurer's motion to dismiss a coverage action, reinforces three best practices policyholders purchasing claims-made coverage should adhere to in order to avoid late-notice defenses, say Lynda Bennett and Alexander Corson at Lowenstein Sandler.
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What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks
With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.
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Keys To Successful Commercial Property Insurance Claims
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
While insurance needs for commercial leasing arrangements are driven by the characteristics of the premises and the nature of the tenants' intended operations, there are several universal best practices landlords and their counsel can follow when making claims after loss or damage.
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Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions
Mark Johnson and Mathew Drocton at BakerHostetler discuss the muted nature of the property and casualty insurance class action space in the second quarter of the year, with no large waves made in labor depreciation and total-loss vehicle class actions, but a new offensive theory emerging for insurance companies.
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Ore. Insurance Litigation Is Testing The Bounds After Moody
Despite the Oregon Supreme Court’s attempt to limit application of its 2023 decision in Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union, which for the first time awarded extracontractual damages stemming from alleged negligent claims handling, recent litigation shows Oregon insurance companies face greater exposure, says Sarah Pozzi at Cozen O’Connor.
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What's In NYDFS Guidance On Use Of AI In Insurance
Matthew Gaul and Shlomo Potesky at Willkie summarize the New York Department of Financial Services' recently adopted circular letter on the use of artificial intelligence in insurance underwriting and pricing, and highlight the material changes made to it in response to comments on the draft circular letter.
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Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
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7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws
The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.
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New La. Managing Agent Law May Portend Growing Scrutiny
Recent amendments to Louisiana’s managing general agent regulations impose expansive new obligations on such agents and their insurer partners, which may be a sign of heightened regulatory, commercial and rating agency scrutiny, say attorneys at McDermott.
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What Fla. Ruling Means For Insurer Managed Repair Programs
A recent Florida state court ruling in Fraga v. Citizens Property Insurance, holding that the insurer could not seek to add additional terms in its managed repair program consent form, should promote clear written contract terms that clarify the relationship between insurers, policyholders and contractors, says Chip Merlin at Merlin Law Group.
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NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2
The second quarter of 2024 saw less enforcement activity in the realm of New York financial services, but brought substantial regulatory and legislative developments, including state regulators' guidance on cybersecurity compliance and customer service processes for virtual currency entities, say James Vivenzio and Andrew Lucas at Perkins Coie.
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Takeaways From Justices' Redemption Insurance Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Connelly v. U.S. examines how to determine the fair market value of shares in a closely held company for estate tax purposes, and clarifies how life insurance held by the company to enable redemption of a decedent’s shares affects that calculation, says Evelyn Haralampu at Burns & Levinson.
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Managing Legal Risks After University Gaza Protests
Following the protests sparked by the war in Gaza, colleges and universities should expect a long investigative tail and take steps to mitigate risks associated with compliance issues under various legal frameworks and institutional policies, say Wiley's Diana Shaw and Colin Cloherty.