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This alert begins our series discussing legal issues related to the Southern California wildfires. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Due to the high risk of wildfires in California,...more
The insured owned premises located in Huntington Station, NY. The Claimant was allegedly injured when she slipped and fell at the premises. The Claimant sued the insured and the insured sought coverage under her homeowners...more
In December 2020, Plaintiff Erin Hughes applied for homeowners coverage for her Malibu home with her Farmers’ insurance agent. Hughes obtained a fire policy through the California FAIR Plan and a homeowners policy through...more
Property Insurance/Replacement Cost - Homeowners Did Not Substantially Meet Policy’s Condition Precedent to Recover Replacement Cost Value - Insurer Did Not Waive Conditions - Henderson v. State Farm Fire and...more
Florida Farm Bureau General Insurance Company v. Linda Williams, 5D23-0183 (Fla. 5th DCA, Apr. 9, 2024) - In this case, Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeals addresses proper application of a hurricane deductible. The...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
The recent decision of Marcantel v. State Farm Fire, No. 2:22-CV-01511, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 111077 (W.D. La. June 24, 2024) offers valuable lessons for policyholders regarding the importance of cooperation in the insurance...more
On April 11, California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court of the State of California arguing that policyholders should be able to assert claims under the state’s Unfair Competition...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
In Berardi v. FMI Insurance Co., a panel of New Jersey’s Superior Court, Appellate Decision, affirmed a lower court’s ruling, which ordered a primary home insurer to defend its insured in a dog bite lawsuit, stemming from...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
In Helguera v. Mid-Century Insurance Co., California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal held that an intentional acts exclusion in the liability coverage part of a homeowners insurance policy issued by Mid-Century Insurance...more
New York’s Highest Court Holds That Portion Of Premium Need Not Be Refunded For Death During Policy Period Of Universal Life Policy- The Joan C. Lupe Family Trust purchased a policy under which Lincoln Life and Annuity...more
A federal court recently held that an insurer may deny coverage under a homeowner’s policy for a “residence premises” when the insured never actually lived at the premises. In Sina Davani v. Travelers Personal Insurance...more
Chabad of Key Biscayne, Inc. v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., No. 22-13603 (11th Cir. 2023) - Chabad filed a claim for water damage after a drain or sewer pipe broke. The insurer denied the claim under the general water damage...more
Eastern District Finds That Insurer’s Delay In Disclaiming After Insured Gave Notice Of Occurrence Precluded Insurer’s Reliance Upon Exclusions Two employees of Extreme Residential Corp. were involved in a construction...more
In Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Co. v. Carmichael, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, applying Alabama law, entered summary judgment ruling that Nationwide Fire Insurance Co. had no duty to...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
The increased frequency and severity of weather events have been felt globally, but California, Louisiana, and Florida are among the U.S. states that have been hit particularly hard. In response, three of the four biggest...more
We bring you our July Insurance Update. We begin with two cases about late notice. First, the Kentucky Supreme Court considers whether the notice-prejudice rule applies to claims-made-and-reported policies. Second, the...more
The presuit notice requirements of section 627.70152, Florida Statutes, are procedural in nature and, therefore, apply retroactively to insurance policies existing at the time the law was enacted (July 1, 2021). Herman Cole...more
In Dorchester Mutual Insurance Co. v. Miville, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts discussed the basis for its reversal of the Superior Court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Dorchester Mutual based on its...more
Residency has long been the touchstone of insurability when it comes to homeowners insurance. Courts applying Pennsylvania law have held that residency is a condition precedent to insurance coverage under a policy insuring a...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
Although the 2018 Farm Bill carved out hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, few court rulings have addressed the legal distinction between federally-legal hemp and federally-illegal cannabis. A new opinion from...more