Specialty Lines

  • September 24, 2025

    UnitedHealth Fights Investor Suit Over DOJ's Merger Probe

    UnitedHealth and its executives have asked a Minnesota federal judge to toss a proposed securities class action accusing it of, among many things, not disclosing that the U.S. Department of Justice had reopened an antitrust investigation into the health insurer, saying the complaint consists of unsupported "scattershot allegations."

  • September 24, 2025

    Ill. Judge Sends $7.6M DOJ Deal Coverage Dispute To Virginia

    A consulting firm must litigate its suit seeking coverage for a $7.6 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in Virginia, where it is based, an Illinois federal court ruled, finding that Virginia is the more convenient forum and the better place to apply state law.

  • September 23, 2025

    Insurer Needn't Cover $3.3M Securities Scam Settlements

    An insurer for a securities broker-dealer does not owe coverage for $3.3 million the company paid to settle claims that an employee defrauded clients, a New York federal court ruled Tuesday, finding that the settlements are not a direct loss covered under the company's policy.

  • September 22, 2025

    Credit Union, Insurers End Embezzlement Coverage Dispute

    A credit union seeking coverage for $5.5 million in embezzled funds agreed to end a suit accusing its fidelity bond insurers of secretly amending policy language to avoid coverage for "virtually any catastrophic loss," according to a notice filed Monday in Georgia federal court.

  • September 22, 2025

    Porsche Crash Suit Isn't Double Recovery, Conn. Justices Told

    A Porsche driver who suffered property damage losses after another man struck him wouldn't score a double recovery if allowed to challenge Nationwide, his own insurer, for separately pursuing the driver allegedly at fault, the Connecticut Supreme Court heard Monday.

  • September 18, 2025

    Fire Risk Modelers See Promise In Advancing Calif. Bill

    A recently approved California bill supporting the development of a public fire risk model could help boost transparency around methods insurers use to make coverage decisions, while advancing a complicated field of study full of uncertainties, experts say.

  • September 18, 2025

    Homeowner Policies At Center Of Ga. Insurance Changes

    As the Georgia House of Representatives continues to study the state's insurance rate-setting practices, profit margins and claims processing, insurance attorneys in the state evaluate the areas in which homeowners should be watching closely, including cosmetic exclusion triggers, third-party adjusters and the changes to come under April's tort reform legislation.

  • September 18, 2025

    Petrol Co. Seeks Early Win In Benzene Injury Coverage Suit

    Three insurers have continued to renege on their duty to defend an underlying lawsuit seeking to hold a New York-based petroleum company liable for a man's multiple myeloma diagnosis, the company told a state court, saying they've already acknowledged that such a duty exists.

  • September 18, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A Delaware state court found that Frontier Communications was entitled to a defense against copyright infringement claims, a split Ninth Circuit panel backed certification denial for a proposed class of Progressive policyholders, and the Second Circuit heard arguments in a firearms retailer's bid for coverage of ghost gun suits. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • September 17, 2025

    Frontier Copyright Row Triggered Duty To Defend, Court Says

    Insurers for Frontier Communications had a duty to defend the telecommunications company against copyright infringement claims that were ultimately settled, a Delaware state court ruled in a recently unsealed opinion, analyzing a deliberate acts exclusion and the timeliness of Frontier's claim notice.

  • September 17, 2025

    Chubb Unit Wants Data, Cyber Cos. To Pay Ransomware Cost

    A Chubb insurance unit has claimed a data management company and a cybersecurity firm failed to prevent or mitigate a ransomware attack on one of its policyholders, leading to the insurer being on the hook for more than $500,000 in damages, according to a lawsuit filed in New Jersey federal court.

  • September 18, 2025

    2nd Circ. Wary Of Retailer's Bid For Ghost Gun Suit Coverage

    The Second Circuit seemed skeptical of a Texas-based firearms retailer's argument that it is owed coverage for suits alleging it contributed to gun violence by selling unfinished components used to assemble what are known as ghost guns, grilling the retailer Wednesday for specific allegations of negligence that would trigger coverage.

  • September 17, 2025

    No Response From Insurers To Coverage Requests, Co. Says

    A Seattle-based marine logistics company told a Washington federal court that a trio of marine insurers failed to issue a coverage opinion before it ultimately settled an arbitration earlier this year involving an $18.6 million counterclaim over vessel damage, adding that the insurers conducted no investigation, either.

  • September 16, 2025

    Travelers Must Cover Scholastic's IP Suit Costs, Not Damages

    A Manhattan federal judge has ruled that a Travelers unit must cover Scholastic Inc. for costs incurred in its defense and settlement of a trademark and copyright infringement suit, but not pay consequential damages Scholastic had sought.

  • September 12, 2025

    Conn. Supreme Court Snapshot: Amazon Wages Top Sept.

    A wage and hour dispute between Amazon and its Connecticut warehouse workers is the top corporate dispute on the Connecticut Supreme Court's September docket after the justices agreed to answer a certified question over whether state law requires the retailer to pay employees undergoing security screenings.

  • September 11, 2025

    Environmental Deregulation Fuels Insurance Uncertainties

    President Donald Trump's policy agenda of dismantling environmental regulations has created more uncertainty in the insurance world, where the benefit from decreased government enforcement may be undercut by shifting litigation risks, new legal theories and potential lingering exposures, insurance attorneys said.

  • September 11, 2025

    OpenAI Death Suit Heightens AI Insurance Concerns

    A wrongful death lawsuit filed against OpenAI and its CEO has insurance experts evaluating what potential carrier involvement may look like, bolstering concerns over whether creators of artificial intelligence platforms have proper coverage and whether carriers could be on the hook for potentially large losses.

  • September 11, 2025

    Lloyd's Fossil Fuel Reversal Strikes Experts As Political

    Lloyd's of London's recent move to relax coverage restrictions for certain fossil fuel businesses reflects a more permissive political climate for polluting industries, experts said, while advocates for sustainable investment called it bad business. 

  • September 11, 2025

    Insurers Claim 'Collusion' In Ga. School's $345M Abuse Deal

    Five insurance companies urged the Georgia Court of Appeals Thursday to let them off the hook for a $345 million settlement between a private school and nearly two dozen men who said they were sexually abused as students, alleging the deal was "tainted by collusion" and well outside the bounds of their respective policies.

  • September 11, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    A New York federal court analyzed policy limits and retentions over abuse claims against the Archdiocese of New York, the First Circuit ordered an insurer to defend a class action over allegedly faulty heating oil, and insurers notified the Fifth Circuit of a potential settlement in their hurricane arbitration appeal.

  • September 11, 2025

    5th Circ. Won't Revisit Doctor's Captive Insurance Case

    The Fifth Circuit rejected a Texas doctor's request for the full court to review a panel's July decision that he was not entitled to $1 million in tax deductions linked to his urgent care network's captive insurance company.

  • September 10, 2025

    Liberty Says Subcontractor's Insurer Must Defend Injury Row

    A subcontractor's insurer must defend and indemnify companies insured by a Liberty Mutual unit on a primary basis in a worker's injury lawsuit, the unit argued to a New York federal court.

  • September 10, 2025

    $5.9M Fidelity National Data Breach Settlement Gets Final OK

    A Florida federal court officially signed off on a $5.9 million settlement of a proposed class action against title insurer Fidelity National Financial over a November 2023 data breach that allegedly impacted roughly 1.3 million individuals, noting the court was notified of a settlement just seven months after the litigation commenced. 

  • September 10, 2025

    McCarter & English Atty Admitted Breaches, Insurers Claim

    Two insurance companies have asked a Connecticut Superior Court judge's permission to file a late request for a quick win on two breach of contract claims against McCarter & English LLP and one of its attorneys, saying the lawyer's deposition left no facts in dispute on those specific counts.

  • September 08, 2025

    Court Tosses Benefits Co.'s Atty Fee Claim Against Insurer

    An Illinois federal court on Monday threw out a benefits administration company's counterclaim for attorney fees under a state statute relating to "vexatious and unreasonable" conduct by insurers, finding that the company failed to support its claims that an insurer engaged in such conduct with sufficient facts.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Holiday Movies Full Of Cheer And Subrogation Scenarios

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    While holiday movies are known for spreading cheer and inspiring nostalgia, for insurance professionals they may also offer an unlikely, yet fascinating, look at subrogation recovery potential, says Dana Meyers at Cozen O'Connor.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of Eye Contact At Trial

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    As a growing body of research confirms that eye contact facilitates communication and influences others, attorneys should follow a few pointers to maximize the power of eye contact during voir dire, witness preparation, direct examination and cross-examination, says trial consultant Noelle Nelson.

  • Best Practices For AI Disclosures In Insurance Applications

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    As businesses integrate AI into their operations, insurers are starting to develop targeted questions to assess the associated risks, but ambiguities in the application forms can create challenges for businesses applying for insurance, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Teaching Your Witness To Beat The Freeze/Appease Response

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    In addition to fight-or-flight, witnesses may experience the freeze/appease response at trial or deposition — where they become a deer in headlights, agreeing with opposing counsel’s questions and damaging their credibility in the process — but certain strategies can help, says Bill Kanasky at Courtroom Sciences.

  • What Insurers Need To Know About OFAC's Expanded FAQs

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    The Office of Foreign Assets Control's recently expanded insurance FAQs clarify how OFAC views insurance policies in a number of specific circumstances involving sanctioned parties, and make plain that sanctions compliance is the responsibility of all participants in the insurance ecosystem, including underwriters, brokers and agents, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Nevada Justices Could Expand Scope Of Subrogation Claims

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    The Nevada Supreme Court's recent decision to hear North River Insurance v. James River Insurance could expand the scope of equitable subrogation claims in the state by aligning with the California standard, which doesn't require excess insurers to demonstrate damages, says Daniel Heidtke at Duane Morris.

  • How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny

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    The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 8 Tech Tips For Stress-Free Remote Depositions

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    Court reporter Kelly D’Amico shares practical strategies for attorneys to conduct remote depositions with ease and troubleshoot any issues that arise, as it seems deposition-by-Zoom is here to stay after the pandemic.

  • 4 Ways Attorneys Can Emotionally Prepare For Trial

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    In the course of litigation, trial lawyers face a number of scenarios that can incite an emotional response, but formulating a mental game plan in advance of trial can help attorneys stay cool, calm and collected in the moment, says Rachel Lary at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • Presidential Campaign Errors Provide Lessons For Trial Attys

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    Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign employed numerous strategies that evidently didn’t land, and trial attorneys should take note, because voters and jurors are both decision-makers who are listening for how one’s case presentation would affect them personally, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice

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    New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Recent Developments In Insurance Coverage For FCA Claims

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice continues its vigorous False Claims Act enforcement, companies looking to their insurers to help defray the costs of an investigation or settlement should note recent decisions on which types of policies cover FCA claims, which policy periods apply and which portions of FCA-related losses are covered, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors

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    For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.