Expert Analysis

• State Of Insurance: Q2 Notes From Illinois

  

  The second quarter of 2026 featured a trio of auto insurance opinions from Illinois' appellate courts, addressing a notice requirement, narrowing insurers' exposure for delayed payment of underinsured motorist claims, and creating a district split on coverage for employee-drivers under employers' policies, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

• State Of Insurance: Q2 Notes From Pennsylvania

  

  Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey highlights notable second-quarter insurance developments in Pennsylvania, including federal court opinions providing guidance on first-party and third-party insurance coverage principles, and a pending bill seeking to regulate health insurers' use of artificial intelligence.

• Reel Justice: 'Obsession' And The Importance Of Precision

  

  In “Obsession,” the main character’s failure to define the limits of his wish results in an unexpectedly horrifying outcome, highlighting for attorneys why careful word choice is essential not only in briefs, but also in charging decisions, statutory interpretation and all stages of criminal litigation, says Veronica Finkelstein at Widener-Delaware Law.

• How Rated Note Feeders Help Insurers Tap Private Credit

  

  With insurer investments comprising nearly a third of the private credit market, rated note feeders offer insurers a compelling way to access private credit yields through debt instruments by balancing key features of debt investment with the structural and economic profiles of private credit funds, say attorneys at Akin.

• 3 Litigation Strategies To Stay Ahead Of Bad Facts

  

  A case with damaging facts can still be won if, instead of avoiding the facts, attorneys proactively address them by carefully selecting a strategy of confronting, containing or reframing, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

• Notable Contributions From 250 Years Of US Insurance Law

  

  Although insurance was not invented or perfected in the U.S., America's 250th birthday serves as an appropriate occasion to celebrate the unique role our country has played in the development of insurance law and coverage litigation, say attorneys at Hinshaw.

• A Calif. Law May Aid Homeowner Recovery After LA Fires

  

  Reconstruction bottlenecks following the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires mean that certain homeowners insurance gaps are only now emerging, and for counsel aiding policyholders in recovery, a regulation regarding insurers' replacement cost estimates may be critical to obtaining coverage, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

• The Banking Issue Hiding In Justices' Freight Broker Ruling

  

  While the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent liability preemption ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport was front-page news for the transportation industry, the banking industry seems to have missed that the decision exposes freight broker lenders to credit, documentation and litigation issues, say attorneys at Barack Ferrazzano.

• Insurance Ruling Extends NY Bad Faith To 3rd-Party Coverage

  

  In Renergy v. Mt. Hawley Insurance, a New York federal court recently granted a policyholder leave to amend its complaint to clarify a bad faith claims handling cause of action, confirming, after nearly 20 years, that bad faith damages are available in the third-party liability context, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

• Reel Justice: 'Tuner' And Modern Juror Sympathy

  

  In “Tuner,” the main character’s criminal behavior is framed as an extension of his vulnerability, talent and loyalty, demonstrating how narratives of sympathy shape perceptions of culpability, and why jurors may reinterpret wrongdoing through story and emotion rather than evidence and doctrine, says Veronica Finkelstein at WilmU Law.

• Rising Tech Cargo Theft Exposes Coverage Gaps

  

  Rising cargo theft losses tied to high-value technology shipments expose major gaps in cargo and inland marine coverage, requiring property owners and manufacturers to reassess insurance policy limits, exclusions and contractual risk transfer, say attorneys at Hunton.

• 6th Circ. Ruling Highlights Split On Labor Cost Depreciation

  

  The Sixth Circuit's recent decision in Schoening Investment v. Cincinnati Casualty throws into relief the fine lines of courts' varying interpretations of whether a commercial property insurer may justifiably depreciate labor costs to determine the actual cash value of damage, says Nabila Rahim at Zelle.

• Texas Ruling Makes Avoiding Appraisal Nearly Impossible

  

  By deciding that a coverage dispute doesn't nullify an appraisal clause, the Texas Supreme Court, in its recent Ace American Insurance ruling, makes appraisal nearly unavoidable in state personal auto and residential property disputes, says David Winter at Norton Rose.