Specialty Lines
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January 29, 2026
Pollution Permit Ruling Backs Pro-Insurer Policy Reading
The Illinois Supreme Court recently deemed state pollution permits irrelevant when determining whether pollutants fall within the scope of an exclusion in commercial general liability policies and endorsed separate pollution liability policies in a ruling that carrier-side attorneys are praising as a straightforward application of policy language.
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January 29, 2026
No New Trial Over Pesticide Coverage Verdict, Judge Says
An Arizona federal court rejected a professional liability insurer's request for a new trial after a jury found it liable to cover settled claims that a pesticide services company negligently damaged wheat crops, finding no issue with the jury instructions.
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January 29, 2026
Pa. Nursing Home Disputes Patient Death Suits' Coverage Cap
A Pennsylvania nursing home told a federal court that an insurer should pay up to $3 million in coverage for lawsuits by six patients' estates alleging a staff member murdered them, arguing the insurer misconstrued a state medical negligence statute in order to limit coverage.
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January 29, 2026
Winter Storm's Costs For Insurers Likely To Be Manageable
The winter storm that plunged much of the U.S. into a deep freeze this week will likely bring about insurance claims challenges related to cause of loss and business interruptions, though market analysts expect the costs will be manageable for insurers.
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January 29, 2026
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Harman International Industries' insurers must cover a $28 million settlement paid to resolve stockholder litigation, the Illinois Supreme Court said regulatory permits are "irrelevant" in assessing the application of a pollution exclusion and a Hartford insurer must cover a gas company in a suit over a gas line explosion.
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January 29, 2026
Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards
Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.
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January 27, 2026
Progressive Urges 4th Circ. To Decertify Car Valuation Class
Progressive told the Fourth Circuit to undo class certification of auto insurance customers in North Carolina challenging how it calculates adjustments for total loss claims, citing the court's decision last year in a "materially identical case" in which certification was reversed.
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January 26, 2026
Helmet Co. Says AIG Unit Must Defend It From Defect Claims
Lexington Insurance Co. ignored a helmet designer's repeated requests for coverage in a lawsuit alleging that product defects caused a helmet to come off a motorcycle rider's head during a collision, the manufacturer told a California federal court.
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January 22, 2026
Top LA Fire Issues Implicated In Trio Of New Insurance Bills
Three recent insurance bills in California could significantly change coverage outcomes for policyholders in the wake of disasters and help address some of the issues that have most vexed homeowners following last year's fires in Los Angeles, while adding to a raft of newly enacted insurance laws, pros say.
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January 22, 2026
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
Under Armour's coverage for claims over its public financial forecasts and accounting practices is capped at $100 million, an insurer lost its appeals in two cases stemming from a $40 million drunk driving verdict and an AIG unit doesn't have to pay FedEx $200 million in post-judgment interest. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.
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January 21, 2026
FedEx Loses $200M Interest Claim Against AIG Unit
A Pennsylvania state judge Wednesday said an AIG unit won't have to pay FedEx $200 million in post-judgment interest following a fatal crash involving one of its drivers, but allowed bad faith and promissory estoppel claims to move forward against the insurer because those claims require a trial.
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January 21, 2026
Nationwide Unit Seeks Exit From Stock Dilution Scheme Suit
A Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. unit told a federal court that it doesn't owe coverage to a company and its officers for a shareholder derivative lawsuit alleging the officers schemed to dilute the stockholders' shares, saying the underlying suit doesn't allege a covered loss for disgorgement or restitution.
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January 21, 2026
Insurer Loses Appeals Over $40M NC Drunken Driving Verdict
A North Carolina appeals court on Wednesday rejected efforts by insurer Integon Indemnity Corp. to appeal decisions in a pair of cases stemming from a $40 million drunken driving verdict, saying the receivers suing for breach of contract were in the correct venue.
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January 20, 2026
Law360 Names Firms Of The Year
Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.
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January 20, 2026
Cos. Seek Coverage For Military Housing Mold, Defects Suits
A property management company and an affiliated investment company have alleged in Pennsylvania federal court that subsidiaries of insurance giants Starr and Allianz wrongfully denied them coverage for suits filed over allegedly poor military housing conditions.
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January 16, 2026
Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year
Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2025, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.
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January 16, 2026
Mich. Justices Let Nationwide's Combined Filing Win Stand
The Michigan Supreme Court declined Friday to review a lower court's ruling that allowed Nationwide entities to file combined returns and share tax credits among their members, with one justice suggesting the state Legislature should revise the combined filing rules for insurance companies.
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January 15, 2026
Litigation Costs, Mental Health Risks Strain Coverage For Jails
Liability policies for certain county jails aren't being renewed due to their failure to ensure statewide standards and excessive claims, prompting a review of county policies and available funding, experts say.
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January 15, 2026
Maduro Removal Raises Insurance Questions Around Oil, War
The U.S. military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power could have significant insurance implications connected to the risk of increased oil trade and questions over whether the operation is viewed as an act of war.
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January 15, 2026
Insurer Owes $24.5M For Burn Case, Medical Spa Trustee Says
A trustee for the bankruptcy estate of a former medical spa owner alleged that Aspen Specialty Insurance Co. breached its duty to defend the woman in litigation over a client's burn injury, forcing her to face a $24.5 million default judgment.
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January 15, 2026
Insurance Litigation Week In Review
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up an appeal of the Sixth Circuit’s jurisdictional standard for mixed actions, the Sixth Circuit found no additional coverage for a religious organization’s code compliance costs and a Delaware state court said a biopharmaceutical company has coverage for a shareholder suit. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week’s top insurance news.
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January 14, 2026
Underwriters Fight Early Win Bid For RealPage MDL Coverage
Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London is fighting a landlord's bid for an early win in its suit seeking coverage for multidistrict antitrust litigation against property management software company RealPage Inc. and multiple landlords, arguing that Certain Underwriters' cyber insurance policy for the landlord applies only to data breach claims.
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January 13, 2026
Insurer, IT Co. Settle Coverage Claims Suit In Colo.
An insurance company, an IT company and an investment firm have reached a settlement in the insurer's federal lawsuit in Colorado that alleged it owed no coverage to the IT company, which a jury found liable for making misrepresentations and breaching its cybersecurity agreement with the investment company.
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January 13, 2026
Insurer Didn't Owe Defense To Telecom Co. In Merger Row
An insurer had no duty to defend a telecommunications company sued by a former board member in connection with a 2014 merger, a Wyoming federal court ruled, saying the suit is a single claim under its directors and officers policy and therefore falls under an "insured versus insured" exclusion.
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January 09, 2026
Biopharma Co. Secures D&O Coverage For Shareholder Suit
A biopharmaceutical company is entitled to coverage for a suit alleging its board breached fiduciary duties under a pair of primary and excess directors and officers policies, a Delaware state court ruled, saying the suit is "meaningfully linked" to a previously noticed demand for books and records.
Under Armour 4th Circ. Loss Raises Related Claims Doubts
A Fourth Circuit panel effectively halved the amount of available coverage for Under Armour's claims related to public financial forecasts and its accounting practices by deeming them "interrelated claims," highlighting the inherent uncertainty that practitioners face with the policy language.
The Biggest Legal, Regulatory Developments From LA Fires
California's insurance landscape was permanently altered early last year after a series of deadly blazes broke out in the Los Angeles area that continues to challenge efforts to mitigate a statewide crisis associated with high insurance costs and low availability. Here, Law360 looks at a timeline of some of the most important insurance legal and regulatory events that followed the fires.
9th Circ. Casino Coverage Ruling Shakes Contract Exclusion
The Ninth Circuit overturned an AIG unit's win in a coverage dispute with the Las Vegas Sands over an underlying suit alleging the casino failed to pay an agent for his work, challenging the scope of a contract exclusion that is nearly ubiquitous in directors and officers policies, insurance experts say.
Expert Analysis
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Justices' Med Mal Ruling May Spur Huge Shift For Litigators
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in the medical malpractice suit Berk v. Choy, holding that a Florida procedural requirement does not apply to medical malpractice claims filed in federal court, is likely to encourage eligible parties to file claims in federal court, speed the adjudicatory process and create both opportunities and challenges for litigators, says Thomas Kroeger at Colson Hicks.
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Cybersecurity Must Remain Financial Sector's Focus In 2026
In 2026, financial institutions face a wave of more prescriptive cybersecurity legal requirements demanding clearer governance, faster incident reporting, and stronger oversight of third-party and AI-driven risks, making it crucial to understand these issues before they materialize into crises, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Reel Justice: 'Die My Love' And The Power Of Visuals At Trial
The powerful use of imagery to capture the protagonist’s experience of postpartum depression in “Die My Love” reminds attorneys that visuals at trial can persuade jurors more than words alone, so they should strategically wield a new federal evidence rule allowing for illustrative aids, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University.
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ISO's 'Litigation Funding Mutual Disclosure' Is Unenforceable
The Insurance Services Office has recently rolled out a "litigation funding mutual disclosure" form for optional use in policies, but the form is not only unnecessary but also unenforceable for four reasons, says Fiona Chaney at Omni Bridgeway.
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7 Predictions For Cyber Risk And Insurance In 2026
In 2026, cyber risk and insurance will be shaped by developments such as the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, ongoing privacy litigation and evolving regulatory requirements, as organizations that integrate AI into their operations contend with new vulnerabilities and a legal landscape that demands greater vigilance and adaptability, say attorneys at Wiley.
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Insights From 2025's Flood Of Data Breach Litigation
Several coherent patterns emerged from 2025's data breach litigation activity, suggesting that judges have grown skilled at distinguishing between companies that were genuinely victimized by sophisticated criminal actors despite reasonable precautions, and those whose security practices invited exploitation, says Frederick Livingston at McDonald Baas.
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2026 State AI Bills That Could Expand Liability, Insurance Risk
State bills legislating artificial intelligence that are expected to pass in 2026 will reshape the liability landscape for all companies incorporating AI solutions into their business operations, as any novel private rights of action authorized under AI-related statutes signal expanding exposures, say attorneys at Wiley.
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Athlete's Countersuit Highlights Broader NIL Coverage Issues
Former University of Georgia football player Damon Wilson's countersuit against the university's athletic association over a name, image and likeness contract offers an early view into how NIL disputes — and the attendant coverage implications — may metastasize once institutions step fully into the role of contracting and enforcement parties, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.
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Key Trends In PFAS Regulation And Litigation For 2026
As 2026 begins, the legal and regulatory outlook for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances is defined less by sweeping federal initiatives and more by incremental adjustments, judicial guardrails and state-driven regulations — an environment in which proactive risk management and close monitoring of policy developments will be essential, say attorneys at MG+M.
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Maximizing Cyberinsurance Coverage In 2026
One of the most significant risks policyholders face in 2026 is the risk of loss caused by infiltration of their computer systems or manipulation of their employees through the use of computers, highlighting the need for a comprehensive cyberinsurance policy review, say attorneys at Cohen Ziffer.
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Judges Carry Onus To Screen Expert Opinions Before Juries
Recent Second Circuit arguments in Acetaminophen Products Liability Litigation implied a low bar for judicial gatekeeping of expert testimony, but under amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence, judges must rigorously scrutinize expert opinions before allowing them to reach juries, says Lee Mickus at Evans Fears.
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4 California Insurance Law Decisions To Know From 2025
California continued to shape the national insurance landscape in 2025, issuing a series of decisions that may recalibrate claims handling, underwriting strategy and policy drafting in areas from property damage claims after a wildfire to automobile coverage for delivery drivers in the gig economy, say attorneys at Nicolaides Fink.
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5 Coverage Considerations For Couture And Cosmetics Cos.
Fashion, beauty and cosmetic companies getting ready for 2026 shouldn't neglect important insurance considerations, including stand-alone policies for specialized risk and check-ins with supply chain partners on policy requirements, say attorneys at K&L Gates.