We cover a broad range of topics in this month’s insurance update. The Supreme Court of Vermont considers how to measure a boat’s capacity under a watercraft exclusion. The Sixth Circuit decides whether an equipment...more
Steven Hix and G. Benjamin Milam of Bradley discuss a pair of recent North Carolina Supreme Court rulings on coverage for pandemic-related losses, one of which gave policyholders a rare win. On December 13, the North...more
On December 13, 2024, the Supreme Court of North Carolina broke with the nationwide trend, holding that, absent a virus exclusion, commercial property insurance policies cover losses covered by the shutdown orders issued in...more
In N.C. Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Herbert, the North Carolina Supreme Court held that UIM policies cannot be stacked when determining whether a tortfeasor’s vehicle is underinsured. The decision upends almost 30 years of...more
The four civil cases decided by the Supreme Court on 15 December 2023 hang together by a focus on minimalism and, in three of them, dissenting opinions by Justice Earls. Based on the current composition of the Supreme Court,...more
It was a busy end to the year, as courts handed down several key insurance decisions before ringing in 2023. The Ohio Supreme Court considered the contours of “direct physical loss or damage” in two separate decisions –...more
In the past two years, there have been many interesting and impactful appellate decisions in North Carolina Workers’ Compensation law. Going into 2023, we wanted to flag the following...more
Timely Service of Uninsured Motorist Actions - On July 7, 2022, the N.C. Supreme Court received a request, in the matter of Ricky DEAN, Administrator of the Estate of Olivia Darlene Flores v. Ravon Walser ROUSEAU, 2022 WL...more
The Situation: Although COVID-19-related insurance coverage litigation is still in its early stages, there are now well over 1,200 lawsuits pending across the United States and Europe, which seek to recover billions of...more
Accardi v. Hartford Underwriters Ins. Co., ___ N.C. __ , No. 42A19 (Feb. 28, 2020) - The North Carolina Supreme Court nixed a putative class-action lawsuit against a property insurer and validated the insurer’s untested...more