Bill on Bankruptcy: What's in the $83M ResCap Examiner's Report?
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. An age-old adage that now provides critical guidance for insurers seeking to protect themselves in the face of bad faith failure to settle claims....more
In Wolf v. Riverport Insurance Co., the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s holding, under Illinois law, that an underinsured motorist insurer did not breach its insurance contract, and no implied...more
The Second Appellate District of the California Court of Appeal recently affirmed a lower court ruling that wildfire debris on an insured’s property did not qualify as “direct physical loss” within the meaning of a homeowners...more
In March last year, New York’s Appellate Division – First Department issued Xerox an important pro-policyholder decision in its D&O insurance recovery action against Travelers, arising from Xerox’s failed 2018 merger with...more
U.S. District Court Xavier Rodriguez of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas recently issued a decision granting summary judgment for an insurance carrier in a first-party case involving alleged...more
There must be something in the water or the plaintiff’s bar just had a conference where the keynote speaker addressed strategies for putting pressure on insurers by issuing time-limited demands (“TLD”) because we have been...more
Today on “Don't Take No for an Answer,” hosts Lynda A, Bennett and Eric Jesse discuss what they see as an increase in insurers acting in bad faith trying to avoid their coverage obligations, with more roadblocks, more...more
Business interruption insurance claims keep coming, cutting across a broad array of industries. The entertainment and media sectors are certainly not immune from pandemic-related losses. Last month, ViacomCBS became the...more
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
No Recovery for Paying Premiums in Excess of Policy Face Amount - Since we last reported on Goostree v. Liberty National Life Insurance Co. in the October 2019 issue of Expect Focus — Life, Annuity, and Retirement Solutions,...more
The Eleventh Circuit recently examined the application of the $5 million amount-in-controversy requirement under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) to disputes over life insurance premiums and policies. It concluded that...more
WHILE THERE REMAINS NO BAD FAITH CAUSE OF ACTION IN NEW YORK, A RECENT APPELLATE DIVISION CASE OUT OF THE FIRST DEPARTMENT MAKES PLAIN THAT AN INSURED NEED NOT MEET A HEIGHTENED PLEADING STANDARD WITH RESPECT TO CONSEQUENTIAL...more
I recently had occasion to read through the Illinois Surplus Line Law in detail when I noticed something interesting: surplus lines insurance companies may not be subject to the cap on bad faith damages usually applied to...more
McDonnel Group LLC obtained a builder’s risk policy for a construction project on a property located in New Orleans, Louisiana. When the insured was denied coverage, it filed suit seeking damages for breach of contract and...more
In a 2017 opinion, Xia v. ProBuilders Specialty Insurance Company, the Washington State Supreme Court analyzed whether an insurer breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing in refusing to defend its contractor insured...more
An insurance carrier has declined to defend a claim asserted against its insured, arguably without meeting its obligation to investigate the claim. For whatever reason — a change in personnel, loss of a file, or some other...more
In July, MetLife obtained a win in the Northern District of Illinois when the court granted summary judgment in its favor on a claim that it had breached the duty of good faith and fair dealing in setting interest rates for a...more
In Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, P.A. v. Prosight-Syndicate 1110 at Lloyd’s, United States No. 15-12399, 2017 WL 586450 (11th Cir., February 14, 2017) the insured law firm sought to recover legal fees and costs incurred...more