In Phila. Indem. Ins. Co. v. Gonzalez, No. 1-23-0833, 2024 Ill. App. Unpub. LEXIS 1372, the Appellate Court of Illinois considered whether the terms of a lease agreement limited a tenant’s liability for fire damages, a fire...more
Matthew Ferrie, Partner, is back again to host the newest episode of the Subro Sessions podcast. Bert Davis, Principal for Romauldi, Davidson, & Associates and BDA Engineering, joins Matt for the second episode on...more
As part of Goldberg Segalla’s commitment to client-focused service and ensuring you are kept apprised of the latest rulings and trends that could impact your profession, we would like to call your attention to two recent New...more
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. recently reported that Oberon Development Corp., a Toronto property management company and apartment project owner, banned the use and storage on its properties of electric vehicles like cars,...more
In a matter of first impression, the Supreme Court of Wyoming (Supreme Court), in West American Insurance Company v. Black Dog Consulting Inc., No. S-23-0052, 2023 WY 109, 2023 Wyo. LEXIS 111, examined whether a landlord’s...more
A recent ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals in Patton v. Pearson1 upheld the ‘Sutton Rule’ in a subrogation action following a house fire at a rental property. The court’s decision emphasizes the crucial role of lease...more
Since the major fire event at Grenfell Tower in June 2017, a significant period of cultural and professional change has occurred within the construction industry in regard to fire safety. During this period, we have seen the...more
Arson means the act of deliberately setting fire to property and thereby causing widespread damage, including danger to people and animals. Although the offence of arson typically involves buildings, it could include any...more
The United Nations recently described climate change as “the defining crisis of our time.” Further, a flagship UN report on climate change declared that the world is on a fast track to disaster because of rising carbon...more
In Smith v. Spectrum Brands, Inc., 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142262, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (District Court) considered whether the plaintiffs’ liability expert met the...more
The Tenth Circuit recently held that, under Kansas law, an intentional loss exclusion precludes coverage for damage caused by an intentionally set fire even if the actual resulting damage is unintended. In Taylor et al. v. LM...more
Smoke taint has dominated the worries of the California wine industry recent years. With unsettled climate conditions and continued droughts, there is no reason to think that smoke taint will not continue to be a significant...more
In determining when the work product doctrine is triggered, the Northern District of Illinois recently held that, rather than adopting a bright-line rule, the issue should be decided on a case-by-case basis at the court’s...more
California is at the start of another dry year, with increased likelihood that the North Bay will experience another active fire season. Fires are always a risk and they are always unpredictable, spread quickly, and can...more
Insurers in South Carolina may now depreciate both labor costs and material costs when determining the “actual cash value” (ACV) owed to policyholders for property damage....more
California is at the start of another dry year, with increased likelihood that the North Bay will experience another active fire season. Fires are always a risk and they are always unpredictable — preparing in advance can...more
Gables Construction, Inc. v. Red Coats, Inc., No. 23, 2020 BL 193791, 2020 MD LEXIS 264 (Md. May 26, 2020) - Upper Rock II, LLC (“Upper Rock”) contracted Gables Construction, Inc. (“GCI”) to construct a multi-building...more
When considering a claim’s subrogation potential, insurance carriers are often confronted with contractual waivers of subrogation that potentially bar the claim. One of the most common waivers carriers face are those...more
On May 23, 2020, a massive fire erupted on Pier 45 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California. The fire quickly tore through a warehouse near the end of the concrete pier, causing its walls to collapse and firefighters...more
On the afternoon of Monday, May 4, 2020, the Five Mile Swamp fire broke out during a permitted, prescribed 240-acre burn in the Pensacola Bay Mitigation Bank located near Milton, Santa Rosa County, Fla. ...more
In Aquino v. United Property & Casualty Company, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court addressed the responsibilities of an insurer under a homeowners policy to an innocent insured homeowner when her fiancée — a coinsured...more
The costs of Flagstaff’s July 2019 Museum Fire, fully contained as of August 15th and for which no cause has yet been determined, are now anticipated to exceed $13,000,000. To date, the Coconino National Forest Service has...more
Aquatherm, LLC v. CentiMark Corp, 2019 BL 13240 (D. Utah Apr. 12, 2019) - Stag II Lindon LLC and Stag Industrial Inc. (collectively “Stag”) owned a building in Lindon, Utah. Stag contracted with CentiMark Corp....more
Most property insurance policies condition the payment of replacement cost value (RCV) on the property first being replaced or repaired, and courts typically enforce that requirement. ...more
In the face of a fire that results in damage to multiple units of a commercial building, it can be difficult for insurers to determine the scope and extent of coverage available under a commercial general liability policy....more