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Policy Terms Property Damage Homeowner's Insurance

Jones Day

Maximizing Insurance Recoveries for Hurricane Helene Losses and the Remainder of the 2024 Hurricane Season

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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

Marshall Dennehey

Where a Windstorm Loss Occurs During a “Hurricane Occurrence,” the Loss Must Bear at Least Some Causal Nexus With the Hurricane...

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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

Marshall Dennehey

Grappling With the Wear and Tear Exclusions of Homeowners’ Policies

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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

Cozen O'Connor

Florida Court Holds Rust and Corrosion is “Act of Nature”

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A Florida court recently held that rust and corrosion of water pipes is an “act of nature,” and, thus, was excluded from coverage under a homeowner’s insurance policy. In Dodge v. People’s Trust Insurance Company, 2021 WL...more

Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C.

Insurance Litigation Group Scores Appellate Victory with the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s Recent Decision in Jennifer...

On March 26, 2021, the Fourth District issued a ruling in the matter of  Jennifer Mezadieu v. Safepoint Insurance Company, which critically cemented the principle that ‘intentionality’ on the part of an insured is not a...more

Baker Donelson

Considerations for Insurance Providers Handling Homeowners Claims from Winter Storm Uri

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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

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

Carlton Fields

The Three “Musts” for a Competent Affidavit or Declaration

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Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal recently issued a decision that serves as a reminder not to take for granted a proposition that most practicing attorneys regularly encounter: a motion for summary judgment must be...more

Butler Snow LLP

Got mold? If so, you probably don’t have insurance coverage for it.

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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

Rumberger | Kirk

Florida's 5th DCA Allows Carrier to Compel Appraisal When Covered Loss Is Under Deductible

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No payment? No problem ruled Florida’s 5th District Court of Appeal a few weeks ago in a homeowner’s insurance case where the carrier found partial coverage for the alleged loss, but did not issue payment because the amount...more

Carlton Fields

Appraise Away Says Florida’s Fifth DCA

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Many homeowners insurance policies allow the insurer or the insured to invoke appraisal to resolve disagreements about the amount of the loss. Nonetheless, when one party invokes appraisal, the other party will sometimes...more

Cozen O'Connor

Collapse Coverage: Second Circuit Holds That Cracking Walls Do Not Constitute “Collapse”

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Most homeowners’ policies – and property insurance policies in general – contain a limited coverage extension for “collapse.” The interpretation of that collapse coverage has been litigated around the country for decades,...more

Carlton Fields

Court Enforces Policy’s Crumbling Foundation Plain Language in Dismissing Claims Against Insurers

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A federal judge in Connecticut recently dismissed claims against insurers related to their denial of a claim by two homeowners whose home’s foundation was crumbling. The case, Hyde v. Allstate Ins. Co., No. 3:18-cv-00031 (D....more

Robinson+Cole Property Insurance Coverage...

Vacancy Exclusion: Eleventh Circuit (Florida) Weighs In On “Dwelling Being Constructed” Exception

Vacancy exclusions are commonplace in many homeowner policies, and typically exclude coverage for certain types of losses if the home is vacant and/or unoccupied. Litigation involving vacancy exclusions can arise when terms...more

Rumberger | Kirk

Resolving The Multiple Peril Puzzle In First Party Insurance Claims

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First party insurance claims involving multiple perils present unique challenges when assessing whether an insurance policy provides coverage. For example, suppose an insurance policy covers damage resulting from fire, but...more

Jaburg Wilk

Arizona Allows Insured to Avoid Removal by Naming Adjuster as Defendant

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In Chukly v. American Family Mut. Ins. Co., 2017 WL 3262541 (D.Ariz. Aug. 1, 2017) (Order), a breach of contract and insurance bad faith case arising from a homeowners claim after a microburst and “massive rain,” the Arizona...more

Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP

Contingency Fee Multipliers: Florida Supreme Court Rejects Rare and Exceptional Circumstances Requirement

Contingency fee multipliers increase attorney fee awards substantially. The general custom in American law is that each party is responsible for his or her own attorney’s fees, regardless of the outcome of the action. See...more

Carlton Fields

Texas Supreme Court Clarifies When Insured May Recover Policy Benefits

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In an effort to clarify over 20 years of conflicting precedent, the Texas Supreme Court announced five rules that, according to the court, explain the relationship between claims for breach of insurance policy and...more

Robinson+Cole Property Insurance Coverage...

Unequivocal Denial: District of New Jersey Court Outlines What is Not Necessary

We have previously featured New Jersey District Court decisions addressing “unequivocal” denials in the context of policies’ suit limitation provisions. In the latest, Ryan v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co., No. 14-6308...more

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