In a case arising from business losses due to power outages caused by flooding during Superstorm Sandy, a New York trial court found that the water damage exclusion of the insurance policy unambiguously excluded coverage for power interruptions caused by flood. In La Casa di Arturo, Inc. v. Tower Group, et al., the policy provided coverage for loss associated with power interruptions that “result from direct physical loss or damage by a Covered Cause of Loss.” Water and flood were specifically excluded as covered causes of loss. Relying on the adjuster’s report and a Con Edison report—both of which concluded
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Archives for Extra-Contractual Damages
New York Court Dismisses Claims Against Insurer for Punitive Damages and Attorney’s Fees But Holds Consequential Damages Claim Can Move Forward in Bad Faith Action
In Millin v. Allstate Indemnity Co., et al., the insureds brought suit against Allstate for breach of contract and bad faith after Allstate partially denied their claim for water damage arising from a water leak in another apartment. Plaintiffs sought actual damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, and attorney’s fees. Allstate moved to dismiss Plaintiff’s claims for punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and consequential damages. Based on the law of New York, the court granted Allstate’s motion to dismiss the claims for punitive damages and attorney’s fees, but denied the motion as to consequential damages, finding that consequential damages are permitted when
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Insurer’s Claims for Negligent Misrepresentation, Fraud and Civil Conspiracy Against Adjusters and Attorneys May Proceed
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled Monday that Church Mutual Ins. Co.’s lawsuit against a public adjusting firm and licensed public adjuster may proceed for claims of negligent misrepresentation, fraud and civil conspiracy. Church Mutual’s claims for civil conspiracy against two attorneys also survived. The action arose from two claims presented by a public adjusting firm on behalf of Church Mutual’s insured, African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas (AEC), for alleged water damage caused by frozen pipes in a chiller system and roof damage caused by hurricane Irene. Investigation into the claims and testimony
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NY Court Holds Injured Third Party Has No Cause of Action for Unfair Claims Practices and Bad Faith in Suit Against Insurer and Claims Examiner
A New York trial court dismissed an action for unfair claims practices and insurer bad faith against an insurer and a claims examiner that was brought by a third-party claimant injured in an auto accident. In Hunter v. Hereford Ins. Co., the Civil Court of Queens County held that plaintiff failed to state a cause of action against the insurer and additionally, as a third party, lacked privity to sue the insurer of the driver that had injured her. The court also dismissed the action against the claim examiner on the basis that she was acting as an agent of
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New Jersey Appellate Division Says When Dealing With Discovery Dispute Between Insureds and Insurers Over Privileged Documents, In-Camera Review Must Be Conducted and Discovery as to Breach of Contract and Bad Faith Claim Bifurcated
On July 27, 2015, in Alden Leeds v. QBE Specialty Ins. Co., unpublished, No. A-2034-14T1 (App. 2015), the New Jersey Appellate Division rendered an important decision addressing discovery disputes between insureds and insurers over privileged documents. Alden Leeds involved a coverage dispute with QBE Specialty and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London over whether a fire that destroyed Alden Leeds’s warehouse was a covered fire loss or an excluded flood loss. Alden Leeds, a manufacturer and seller of pool chemicals, stored chemicals in a warehouse insured by QBE and Underwriters. The warehouse was damaged by fire during Super Storm Sandy. The
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NJ Court Permits Jury Trial To Insureds In Fraud Cases
Court OKs Jury Trials for Private Insurance Fraud Defendants Michael Booth, New Jersey Law Journal July 21, 2015 | 0 Comments SHARE PRINT REPRINTS Barry Albin Barry Albin Carmen Natale The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that defendants in civil actions brought under the state’s Insurance Fraud Prevention Act (IFPA) have the right to a jury trial. In a unanimous ruling in Allstate Insurance v. Lajara, the court disagreed with two lower courts that said private claims brought under the IFPA are equitable and, therefore, there is no right to a trial by jury. Justice Barry Albin, writing for
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court Adopts New Fair and Reasonable Standard When Insured Settles Without Insurer’s Consent
In an issue of first impression, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently addressed whether an insured forfeits the right to insurance coverage when it settles a lawsuit without the insurer’s consent, in a case where the insurer has defended the suit subject to a reservation of rights. In Babcock & Wilcox v. American Nuclear Insurers, the Court answered that question in the negative and adopted a fair and reasonable standard limited to those cases where an insured accepts a settlement offer after and insurer breaches its duty by refusing a fair and reasonable settlement while maintaining its reservation of rights,
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New York Court Holds Boat Owner Not an Insured Under Policy Issued to Marina That Leased the Owner’s Boat
In Rosano v. Freedom Boat Corp., a boat owner brought suit against a marina and its insurer, American Modern Insurance Group, Inc. (“American Modern”), for damages to the boat he leased to the marina. The owner brought causes of action for breach of contract and failure to pay a claim against American Modern, claiming that he was an insured under the policy issued to the marina. After reviewing the policy language, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York held that the owner was not named as an insured or additional insured and entered summary judgment
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Insurers Challenge Amtrak’s Wind Claims In Sandy Litigation – Read More Here
Insurers Say Amtrak Can’t Force Wind Claims Into Sandy Suit Share us on: By Joe Van Acker Law360, New York (June 30, 2015, 7:37 PM ET) — Excess insurers told a New York federal judge on Tuesday not to undo a recent decision dismissing them from Amtrak’s suit seeking compensation for rail damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, claiming that Amtrak has contradicted itself by trying to shoehorn wind-related claims into its suit. Arch Specialty Insurance Co., Lexington Insurance Co., Steadfast Insurance Co. and others said Amtrak changed course after the court granted their motion for summary judgment by claiming that
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Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals Rules That Punitive Damages Are Not Recoverable Against an Insurer
In an opinion predicting Pennsylvania state law, the Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals ruled that punitive damages awarded against an insured in a personal injury suit are not recoverable in a later breach of contract or bad faith suit against the insurer. In Wolfe v. Allstate, the Court examined Pennsylvania’s long-standing public policy regarding the uninsurability of punitive damages and predicted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court would conclude that, in a bad faith action against an insurer, an insured may not collect as compensatory damages the punitive damages awarded against the insured in the underlying suit. In this case,
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