Most jurisdictions, at least in theory, permit insureds to recover extra-contractual payments/judgments from their insurers under bad faith or negligence theories. Jurisdictions are less uniform on whether or under what...more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, applying South Carolina law, has ruled that an insurer had no duty to defend an insured in a defamation action because its policy provided excess coverage, even where...more
Every policyholder will likely face a scenario where its primary insurer refuses a settlement offer within limits. The primary insurer is potentially liable for that excess verdict if it acted in bad faith by refusing to...more
An insurer defending a claim against an insured that could exceed policy limits has a good faith obligation to settle the claim if possible. Failure to do so puts a nonsettling insurer at grave risk. An Eleventh Circuit...more
Insurers don’t, as a rule, like bad faith suits. But life can play funny tricks—as when a judgment against an insured breaches a layer of excess coverage, because the primary carrier failed to settle within its policy...more
In This Issue: - Eleventh Circuit: Excess Insurer, Like All Florida Bad Faith Claimants, Must Prove Causation to Succeed on Bad Faith Claim Against Primary Insurer - Northern District of Alabama: No Bad Faith...more
Westchester Fire Insurance Co. v. Mid-Continent Casualty Co., No. 13-12932, 2014 WL 2766764 (11th Cir. Jun. 19, 2014) - The Eleventh Circuit finds that a primary insurer did not act in bad faith by failing to inform...more
In This Issue: - Northern District of New York: Primary Insurer That Waited Nine Years to Tender Policy Limits to Injured Plaintiff Was Liable to Excess Carrier for Bad Faith - Middle District of Pennsylvania:...more
CONTENTS - Northern District of Texas: No Bad Faith for Denying Property Damage Claim Due to Insured’s Failure to Allow Insurer More Than a Day’s Time for Inspection Prior to Insured’s Remediation - District of...more
Getting Over the Bar: Second Circuit Requires Actual Payment of Underlying Limits In Order to Trigger Excess D&O Policies - In June, the Second Circuit held that two Federal Insurance Company ("FIC") excess D&O...more