What is an Appraisal?
The Situation: On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall and left a path of destruction from the Florida coast through North Carolina, with total insured losses estimated in the tens of billions of dollars....more
A new Florida appellate decision may dramatically affect recovery in homeowner property insurance lawsuits. In Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company v. Qureshi, No. 4D2023-1338 (Fla. 4th DCA, July 24, 2024), a...more
A federal court recently held that an insurer could not deny coverage under a homeowner’s policy based upon the failure of the named insured’s son, an “insured person,” to submit to an examination under oath (“EUO”). In...more
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals declared that an insurer’s homeowners policy all-terrain vehicle exclusion barred coverage for a Utah insured’s injuries that did not occur at the “insured location.”...more
Long Island is especially beautiful in late summer and early autumn. The sizzling summer heat has started to fade, the leaves on the area’s stately trees are green, and the warm water temperatures continue to attract ...more
It’s a volatile time within the private client insurance market, and California homeowners are in a tough spot as we head further into 2023. Specialized affluent market insurers in the state continue to struggle to offer...more
Between 2017 and 2022, 11 property and casualty insurers writing mainly homeowners insurance in Florida, where they were domiciled, were declared insolvent and placed in liquidation. This does not include any potential...more
The holiday season is one of the most magical times of year in New York. The crisp winter air is filled with excitement as residents transform their homes with festive decorations, bright lights and Christmas trees. Although...more
The Washington Supreme Court recently published an opinion that appears to invalidate any homebuyer warranty that requires the buyer to file suit in less than six years. In Tadych v. Noble Ridge Construction, Inc., the owners...more
At the end of 2021, securing homeowner’s insurance became more complicated for individuals in California. Kathleen Zortman, President and CEO of AIG Private Client Group, alerted the personal insurance industry of her...more
For the first time in more than 20 years, FEMA has announced plans to make changes to its Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP). Under the proposal, FEMA would introduce a new Homeowner Flood Form, to be published at 44...more
As Winter Storm Uri swept across Texas over President's Day weekend, the temperature hit record lows and dumped snow in areas that have rarely seen snow before. Millions of people experienced several days of power outages and...more
A condition precedent to receiving coverage under almost any insurer’s homeowner’s policy is an obligation for the insured to provide reasonably “prompt” notice of any loss. However, most policies never define what...more
On Friday, October 2, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara of the California Department of Insurance (“Department”) published a Notice addressed to and making several “requests,” detailed below, of both admitted and...more
It happens all the time – a water leak in a house or other building goes unnoticed for some period of time, and then mold appears. Insurance policies generally provide coverage to repair water damage, provided other policy...more
When the insured and insurer disagree on the amount of a particular loss, an appraiser can help settle the matter. Partner and insurance attorney Nate Meyer explains an appraiser's role in this video. ...more
• The Florida Senate recently passed assignment of benefits (AOB) legislation that is expected to be signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill is intended to bring much needed reform to the abused and litigious practice of...more
This week’s Short-Term Rental Update features a number of interesting topics, including these highlights...more
Financial Services Update - • TCPA: plaintiff's putative TCPA class action arose from post-agreement conduct that did not fall within scope of contract's arbitration agreement - Getz v. DirecTV, LLC, 359 F. Supp. 3d 1222...more
Lawsuits by homeowners against their own insurance companies for failing to pay on damage claims that homeowners believe and argue are covered by their policies of insurance are quite common in Florida. Frequently these...more
Hurricane Florence was the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season and inflicted considerable damage around the border of North Carolina and South Carolina. As property owners look toward recovery from...more
Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal (DCA) ruled on Sept. 5, 2018, that an insurer's anti-assignment provision was not prohibited. The Court disagreed with the Fifth DCA's decision in December 2017 prohibiting any such...more
The Holding - In Teufel v. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co., 244 Ariz. 383, 419 P.3d 546 (2018), the Arizona Supreme Court recently held that a Contractual Liability Exclusion in homeowner policies did not apply to a claim for...more
On December 24, 2013, a fire destroyed Plaintiffs’ home. Plaintiffs’ homeowners’ policy, issued by State Farm, required insureds to submit personal property inventories within sixty days after a loss. Three days after the...more
On Monday, the California Supreme Court revived a 2011 insurance regulation designed to protect homeowners from underinsurance because of the insurance company’s use of potentially misleading estimates for home replacement...more