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Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Scheduling, Compliance, and Liaison Tasks under the Professional Services Exclusion

Although a construction manager’s scheduling and liaison responsibilities do not require specialized training, such tasks may be sufficiently related to the actor’s other roles to be excluded from coverage under a liability...more

Akerman LLP

April Fools? Nope. Hard-to-Believe Reasons Used to Defeat Acceptance of Settlement Offers

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No one likes a copycat, but insurers in Georgia have no other choice when trying to accept a settlement demand. If an insurer’s attempted acceptance of a settlement demand does not mirror the terms of the demand exactly —...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Third District Court Of Appeal Joins Debate Over Retroactive Application Of Florida Statute 627.70152’S Presuit Notice Provision

On February 14, 2024, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal, in Fernando Cantens and Ana Marie Cantens v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, No. 3D22-0917 (Fla. 3d DCA Feb. 13, 2024), joined Florida’s Fourth District...more

Carlton Fields

Kentucky Holds No Coverage for Malicious Prosecution Claim Under Policy Issued After Claimant’s Wrongful Arrest

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In City of Newport v. Westport Insurance Co., the Kentucky Court of Appeals addressed whether coverage existed for a malicious prosecution claim in a law enforcement liability policy that covered only periods of time during...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Federal Court Applying Alabama Law Finds That Insurer Has No Duty To Defend Failure-to-disclose Action

The duties to defend and indemnify arise out of an insurer’s contract with its insured. It is a commonly accepted principle under Alabama law that an insurer’s duties to defend and indemnify are separate and distinct. Indeed,...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

When the “Made Whole” Doctrine Isn’t a Defense to Subrogation

In some jurisdictions, the “made-whole” doctrine requires insured parties to be made whole before an insurance carrier may recover from a third-party as a subrogee. Every so often, a tortfeasor will argue this doctrine as a...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Tear-Out Costs Get Torn Out Again

On September 13, 2023, the Third District Court of Appeal released its opinion in People’s Trust Insurance Company v. Banks. The opinion is a substitute opinion for the Court’s original opinion, which was issued on August 13,...more

Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Don’t Cash that Refund Check! How to Challenge Insurance Rescission

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On this episode of “Don’t Take No for an Answer,” Lynda A. Bennett and Eric Jesse explain the policy procurement process, highlighting a disturbing trend they have observed lately where insurers attempt to rescind policies...more

Carlton Fields

Fifth Circuit Holds No Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Lyft Driver Following Crash

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In Neptune v. Indian Harbor Insurance Co., the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently addressed whether uninsured motorist (UM) coverage applied in an accident where there was no evidence of a “hit” from the uninsured...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Insurers May be on-the-hook for Pre-Suit Attorney’s Fees, but Can Avoid Them by Considering Pre-Suit Settlement

Tendering policy limits to an insured in response to a Notice of Intent to Litigate, under section 627.70152, Florida Statutes (2021), precludes insureds from recovering pre-suit attorney’s fees from their property insurers...more

Carlton Fields

Court Follows Fifth Circuit Precedent in Enforcing Unsigned Insurance Arbitration Agreement Under New York Convention

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The insured argued that the arbitration agreement at issue was not enforceable under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards because the agreement was not signed by both parties and...more

Carlton Fields

District of Maryland Holds Insurance Policy’s Appraisal Provision Constitutes Enforceable Arbitration Clause Under FAA

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In Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America v. Papagiannopoulous, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland addressed the issue of whether a real estate “appraisal provision” included in an insurance policy...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Words matter: a series of leaks constitutes a single occurrence under particular policy language

In a recent decision from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, styled KT State & Lemon, LLP et al. v. Westchester Fire Ins. Co. et al., the Court granted summary judgment to the...more

Carlton Fields

Mass. Court Holds Unprovoked Attack Not “Physical Abuse” Within Meaning of Abuse and Molestation Exclusion

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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

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Coverage By Waiver In Georgia? Not Anymore Says The Eleventh Circuit

In 2012, the Georgia Supreme Court stated, in a third-party coverage matter, “an insurer cannot both deny a claim outright and attempt to reserve the right to assert a different defense in the future.” Hoover v. Maxum Indem....more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Florida Federal District Court: Florida Law Governs Property Insurance Disputes Involving Florida Real Property Owned by Florida...

Bucking a general consensus that had emerged over the last decade, a South Florida federal district court ruled recently that Florida law would govern a property insurance dispute involving Florida real property, even though...more

Robinson+Cole Class Actions Insider

Auto Insurance Total Loss Class Action: Ninth Circuit Affirms Denial of Class Certification

Numerous class action suits have been filed against auto insurers regarding the valuation of vehicles that are total losses. These cases typically allege that insurers are undervaluing vehicles in some common way or in...more

Woodruff Sawyer

What Does a Billion-Dollar Verdict Mean for Casualty Insurance Buyers?

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Frequency of severity is back. Insurance buyers need to approach excess casualty renewals carefully to mitigate for loss trends and take advantage of a changing insurance market....more

Miller Nash LLP

Cannabis Coverage Alert: Oregon Court Distills the Science of Cannabis to Find Insurance for a CBD Claim

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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

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Insurer Doesn’t “Waive” Goodbye To Coverage Defenses By Making A Payment

Does an insurer “open coverage” or “acknowledge coverage” for a claim by making a payment? No, it doesn’t. The Third DCA confirmed: an insurer does not waive its coverage defenses, such as policy exclusions or breaches of...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Insurer Had No Duty to Defend or Indemnify for Lawsuit Refiled During the Policy Period

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Applying Illinois law, a federal district court has held that an insurer did not have a duty to defend or indemnify for a lawsuit that was filed and dismissed prior to the policy period and later refiled during the policy...more

Wiley Rein LLP

Ninth Circuit: Excess Carrier Not Entitled to Challenge Payment Decisions of Underlying Carriers

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The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, applying California law, has held that an excess insurer could not second-guess the payment decisions of underlying insurers absent a showing of fraud or bad faith, or...more

Carlton Fields

Third and Eleventh Circuits Show No “Lapse” in Judgment

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In the first half of 2020, two decisions were issued by federal appellate courts related to the lapse of life insurance policies. Both decisions affirmed the insurer’s position and rejected challenges to the determination of...more

Robins Kaplan LLP

Don’t Stop the Music: The Intersection Between Insurance and The Music Industry in the Era of COVID-19

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As More Live Performances Are Cancelled, Limited In Size Or Postponed, Venues, Festival Organizers, Artists And Others Are Looking For Relief From The Financial Impact Caused By The Coronavirus Crisis....more

Carlton Fields

Florida Court Determines Insurer Did Not Waive Right to Appraisal in Hurricane Irma Claim Brought by Homeowners

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Various homeowner’s insurance policies contain an appraisal clause that a carrier or insured may invoke in situations where there is a dispute in damages between the parties. ...more

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