Expert Analysis

Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in Febru... (more story)

In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in th... (more story)

7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should revi... (more story)

Property More

Panel Dooms U. Of Washington's COVID-19 Coverage Battle

The University of Washington cannot get coverage from a Liberty Mutual unit for COVID-19-related losses under its all-risk property policy requiring "direct physical loss or damage" to insured property for cov... (more story)

Samsung, Home Depot Liable For Home Fire, Insurer Says

Samsung and Home Depot owe an insurer more than $330,000 for payments made to a policyholder for fire damage, the insurer said in a suit removed to Pennsylvania federal court, alleging that an electric range m... (more story)

Insurer Exposed Drivers' Personal Information, Court Told

An auto-population feature of tech-forward insurer Lemonade's online quote platform negligently disclosed about 190,000 drivers' license numbers to cybercriminals over 17 months, and the website still hasn't b... (more story)

8th Circ. Affirms Travelers Doesn't Owe $1.4M For Wall Failure

A Missouri property developer can't recover from Travelers $1.4 million for lost rental income and soft costs after a retaining wall failure caused delays at an apartment construction project, the Eighth Circuit ruled Monday.

3rd Circ. Rejects Ralph Lauren's COVID-19 Coverage Appeal

The Third Circuit on Monday rejected a consolidated appeal from Ralph Lauren Corp. and luggage retailers Tumi Inc. and Samsonite LLC over property insurance coverage for COVID-19-related losses, finding a New ... (more story)

Hinshaw Welcomes Insurance Litigator To New Orleans Team

Hinshaw & Culbertson has added a partner from Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz to its global insurance services practice in New Orleans, where she will represent insurance companies and other entiti... (more story)

Insurers Must Pay For $7.3M Hail Loss, Property Owner Says

A dispute among insurers over when a Texas shopping center was damaged in a hailstorm has left the center short of full coverage for a $7.3 million loss, and the owner wants a federal court to ensure that the ... (more story)

Condo Owner And Insurer Settle $25M Storm Damage Suit

A 7-year-old federal lawsuit between a Colorado condominium complex and its insurer alleging nearly $25 million in unpaid claims has ended in a private settlement.

LA Fire Victims Say AAA, USAA Left Many Unable To Rebuild

California homeowners accused AAA and USAA of systematically undervaluing the replacement cost of their homes all while advertising adequate coverage and financial security, telling a state court that many can... (more story)

Novel Climate Change Death Suit Raises Insurance Questions

A novel suit accusing oil and gas companies of contributing to a woman's 2022 heat wave death could lead to future insurance disputes, but experts said common exclusions and other policy terms could leave the ... (more story)

General Liability More

IT Co. Urges 1st Circ. To Affirm It's Blameless For Data Breach

An information security technology company urged the First Circuit on Tuesday to affirm that it isn't liable for a 2018 data breach that exposed confidential information of more than 277,000 of the medical dev... (more story)

Insurer Seeks Exit From Missouri Tree-Cutting Dispute

An insurer that separately insured a farm and a man accused by the farm of trespassing on its property and cutting down "valuable trees" told a Missouri federal court it should owe no coverage to the man, poin... (more story)

City Says Insurer Owes $9M For Wrongful Incarceration Deal

An insurer for a North Carolina city improperly denied coverage for an underlying suit brought by a Black man who was wrongfully imprisoned for 44 years and is now on the hook for a $9.3 million settlement pay... (more story)

Contractor Says Insurer Owes $2M For Caltrans Bridge Losses

A Zurich Insurance Group unit cannot use exclusions to avoid covering more than $2 million in losses a contractor incurred after losing steel casings while constructing a bridge foundation near a Northern Cali... (more story)

Other Carrier Must Cover $1.1M Injury Award, Insurer Says

A chiropractor's insurer must pay a $1.1 million award entered against him and the clinic where he works in a suit over injuries that a woman sustained during treatment, the clinic's insurer told a New York fe... (more story)

Judge Grills Kidde-Fenwal About Missing Info In Disclosures

A Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday questioned why firefighting foam maker Kidde-Fenwal did not include in plan disclosures details about the recoveries its creditors can expect under its Chapter 11 proposal... (more story)

Insurer Blames Union Pacific For $447K Nissan Cargo Loss

Union Pacific Railroad Co. is on the hook for over $447,000 after it delivered a shipment of Nissan vehicles in a "severely damaged and depreciated condition," the insurer for the cargo owner told a Nebraska f... (more story)

Allstate Urges Ga. Panel To Undo Dismissal Sanction

Allstate Fire And Casualty Insurance Co. urged the Georgia Court of Appeals to overturn a trial court's decision to sanction it by tossing its lawsuit over a liability policy issued to the owner of a car invol... (more story)

Lumber Co. Says Carrier Failed To Procure Proper Coverage

A lumber company and its insurance broker told a Nebraska federal court that the company's property insurance policy should be reformed to include $500,000 in business interruption coverage following a fire lo... (more story)

6th Circ. Sets New Jurisdiction Standard For 'Mixed Actions'

An Ohio federal court erred by remanding declaratory claims over insurance coverage for underlying PFAS litigation to state court, the Sixth Circuit ruled, forging its own jurisdictional standard for what are ... (more story)

Specialty Lines More

Wells Fargo Can't Collect On $4M Stranger-Funded Life Policy

Wells Fargo Bank NA cannot collect on a $4 million life insurance policy, a Nebraska federal court ruled, finding the policy void from the start since it was taken out on the life of a now-deceased man with th... (more story)

4th Circ. Denies Couple's Bid To Inflate 300K Insurance Payout

Selective Insurance Company of South Carolina doesn't have to increase its payout to a couple involved in a car wreck, the Fourth Circuit has ruled, finding that North Carolina law doesn't provide that the cou... (more story)

Q&A: Startup Aims To Price Emergent AI Risks

While the use of artificial intelligence platforms such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini has certainly proliferated among the public, how the insurance industry will address AI-related risks across exis... (more story)

Software Co. Says Insurers' About-Face Led To $21M Claim

A software company is blaming its insurers in Washington federal court for hampering its settlement talks with a client by reneging on its coverage agreements, causing the company to now potentially face a cus... (more story)

Norton Rose Adds Corporate Pro To Growing Chicago Office

Norton Rose Fulbright announced the growth of its Chicago office Thursday with the addition of a "highly regarded corporate lawyer," who will serve as a partner in the firm's business practice group and as a m... (more story)

Insurance Litigation Week In Review

The Sixth Circuit said a coverage dispute over PFAS litigation shouldn't have been sent back to state court, the Tenth Circuit found that an insurer did not unreasonably deny a hail damage claim and a Florida ... (more story)

3 Ways DOL Benefits Chief Nominee May Affect ERISA Cases

A key committee will decide Thursday whether to send President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Labor’s employee benefits arm ahead for a full Senate vote, setting the stage for what attorney... (more story)

Agent Seeks Toss Of Insurer's $1M Reinsurance Loss Suit

An insurance company's suit alleging that an insurance agent's errors cost the company its reinsurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. should be tossed, the agent told a Michigan federal court, arguin... (more story)

Adjustment Of Claims Ordered After $66M Boat Death Suit

A North Carolina federal judge granted a preliminary injunction ordering an adjuster to proceed with adjusting claims for insurers, including one related to a 2021 fatal Florida boat accident that resulted in ... (more story)

Conn. Judge Narrows McCarter's Defenses In $22M Loan Suit

A Connecticut state court trimmed McCarter & English LLP's defenses in a $22.3 million suit over its role crafting loans for recreational improvements in a Long Island, New York, town, saying the firm cannot p... (more story)