Insurance

  • March 14, 2024

    La. Strip Mall Says Insurers' Arbitration Clause Unenforceable

    A New Orleans-area strip mall owner said it shouldn't be forced to arbitrate its bad faith claim against its insurers for the handling of its Hurricane Ida damage claim, telling a Louisiana federal court that the arbitration clause in its policies is unenforceable.

  • March 14, 2024

    Feds Seek 20 Mos. For Aegerion Fraud 'Puppet Master'

    A pharmaceutical sales representative who gloated about being a "puppet master" for false insurance claims for Aegerion's cholesterol drug should serve 20 months in prison, the U.S. government has told a Boston federal judge.

  • March 13, 2024

    PNC Bank Can't Get $106M Judgment Covered By Insurers

    PNC Bank NA is not entitled to coverage by a group of excess insurers for a $106 million judgment it incurred in an underlying lawsuit alleging the bank's predecessor mismanaged funeral trust accounts, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the policies' exclusions bar coverage in this case.

  • March 13, 2024

    AI Auto Damage-Assessing Giant Accused Of Monopoly

    Tractable Inc. is hitting back at CCC Intelligent Solutions with counterclaims in an ongoing trade secrets spat, alleging in a new motion CCC has leveraged its dominant share of the auto collision-assessment market to stifle consumer choice and increase prices in violation of antitrust laws.

  • March 13, 2024

    Judge Says COVID Test Suit Depends On Conn. Justices

     A Connecticut federal judge trimmed several claims from a $783,000 suit over a COVID-19 testing bill that a health plan administrator allegedly failed to pay, but declined to rule on certain state law issues until the state's highest court can shed light on the statutes in an upcoming ruling.

  • March 13, 2024

    Ex-Agent Drops 'Toxic' Claims Against Insurer At Arbitration

    A former employee of a Pittsburgh-area insurance agency dropped her claims against her ex-employer the night before the case was scheduled to go to arbitration, and the insurer asked a federal court Wednesday to affirm the arbitrators' ruling dismissing the suit.

  • March 13, 2024

    Aetna Can't Avoid Bias Suit Over Fertility Treatment Policy

    Aetna must face a proposed class action alleging it readily covers fertility treatments for infertile heterosexual women but forces non-heterosexual women to spend thousands out of pocket before paying for their treatments, with a Connecticut federal judge saying it doesn't matter if the insurer didn't control the health plan's terms.

  • March 13, 2024

    Wash. Law Firm, Travelers Settle $136K Theft Coverage Fight

    A Seattle law firm and Travelers settled their coverage dispute over an employee's nearly $136,000 worth of unauthorized charges on a credit card, the parties told a Washington federal court.

  • March 13, 2024

    Health Plan Provider's Settlement Notice Costs Not Covered

    An insurer has no duty to indemnify a health insurance provider for notice costs incurred in a class action over denied medical benefits, a Montana federal court ruled, finding that the costs do not constitute "claim expenses" under the provider's errors and omissions policy.

  • March 13, 2024

    Ala. Hotelier Says Insurer Must Cover Fire Damage

    A Montgomery, Alabama, hotel owner said an insurer must cover a property-destroying fire under a $13 million policy, telling a New York federal court the insurer made "no attempt whatsoever" to meet its obligations despite the hotelier having met all conditions under the policy.

  • March 13, 2024

    Insurance Firm Lavin Rindner Duffield Adds Wiley Rein Vets

    Lavin Rindner Duffield LLC has added two attorneys to its growing boutique insurance team, bringing on a former Washington, D.C., assistant U.S. attorney who is also a Wiley Rein LLP vet, and a former partner at Wiley who will enhance its offerings, the firm said Wednesday.

  • March 12, 2024

    Geico Policyholders Lose Cert. Bid In Pandemic Premium Suit

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday denied class certification in litigation claiming that Geico profited off the COVID-19 pandemic by charging excessive car insurance premiums, ruling that the policyholders who filed the lawsuit had not shown that their damages model could be calculated on a classwide basis.

  • March 12, 2024

    Gunmaker, Insurer Settle Coverage Of NY 'Ghost Gun' Suits

    A gunmaker accused by the New York attorney general and two cities of facilitating the creation of so-called ghost guns has reached a coverage settlement with one of its insurers, the parties told a Florida federal court Tuesday, leaving the gunmaker's coverage claims against another insurer still pending.

  • March 12, 2024

    Ex-Boy Scout Can Seek $120M Award From Insurers

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge has ruled that a former Boy Scout can keep suing the organization's insurers to collect a $120 million abuse judgment against his ex-Scoutmaster, even though the court entered an injunction barring similar lawsuits.

  • March 12, 2024

    La. Property Owners, Insurers Settle $5M Hurricane Ida Fight

    Lloyd's of London and other insurers and underwriters have agreed to settle claims by a group of New Orleans-area property owners who allege the insurers wrongly denied more than $5.1 million in claims from Hurricane Ida damage after the insurers demanded the dispute be resolved in arbitration.

  • March 12, 2024

    Maui Wildfire Case Sent Back To Hawaii State Court

    A Hawaii federal judge lobbed to state court a family's suit seeking to hold Maui County, energy utilities, telecommunication companies and others liable for property damage caused by a wildfire that left over 100 people dead, rejecting the defendants' argument this case should be removed and consolidated in federal court.

  • March 12, 2024

    Pa. Property Owner Knocks Insurer's Early Win Bid

    A Pennsylvania property owner urged a federal court to reject its insurer's bid for a pretrial win, arguing that a vacancy provision in its policy is ambiguous and does not preclude coverage of the $5 million in damages it seeks following a warehouse break-in.

  • March 12, 2024

    Paul Weiss' Digital Tech Chair On AI's Promises And Perils

    While generative artificial intelligence promises to increase access to justice and kill the billable hour, we don't know how to prevent it from unleashing misinformation and disinformation on the electorate, says Katherine Forrest, a former Manhattan federal judge who is now chair of Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP's digital technology group.

  • March 12, 2024

    Colo. Lawmakers OK Multistate Online Insurance Tax Filing

    Insurance companies in Colorado would be required to pay some taxes through a multistate third-party online application under legislation approved by the state Senate.

  • March 12, 2024

    NJ Diocese Asks Court To Toss Insurer's Abuse Coverage Suit

    The Catholic Diocese of Trenton asked a New Jersey federal court to toss an insurer's action seeking to escape coverage for more than 200 suits alleging sexual abuse by clergy, saying the coverage dispute is "premature, vague, and ambiguous."

  • March 11, 2024

    Fla. Biz Owner Says Insurer Left Co. On Hook For $12M Award

    The owner of a Florida Keys construction and landscaping company told federal jurors Monday that it made no sense for National Indemnity Company of the South to tender the policy limits to his employee involved in a fatal crash while leaving the company exposed and forced to go to trial, where it was hit with an $11.8 million judgment.

  • March 11, 2024

    Biden Proposes More Mental Health Expansion In 2025 Budget

    The Biden administration's $7.3 trillion fiscal year 2025 spending blueprint unveiled Monday maintains a pledge to transform the nation's mental health system, but contains the least ambitious discretionary budget ask for the U.S. Department of Labor in four years.

  • March 11, 2024

    Injured Bus Rider Gave Up Right To Sue, Mich. Justices Told

    A Detroit public transit authority told the Michigan Supreme Court to affirm that an injured passenger can't pursue the authority for personal injury protection benefits under the state's no-fault law after assigning her right to the benefits to her medical providers.

  • March 11, 2024

    Prejudice Rule Applies To Property Claims, Colo. Justices Say

    A rule excusing some policyholders for filing late claims applies to occurrence-based, first-party homeowners' property policies, a divided Colorado Supreme Court held Monday, reversing two insurers' wins in a pair of coverage disputes over hail damage.

  • March 11, 2024

    NC Judge Scraps $8M Verdict In AXA Life Insurance Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge wiped out an $8 million jury award for historian and investment firm founder Malcolm Wiener in his lawsuit accusing AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. of sabotaging his insurability with inaccurate health information reporting, finding Wiener had "no baseline" to support the award beyond $1 in nominal damages.

Expert Analysis

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • What's In NY's Draft Guidance On AI Use In Insurance

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    Last week, the New York State Department of Financial Services released proposed guidance for insurers on the use of artificial intelligence systems and external consumer data and information sources for underwriting and pricing purposes, and these standards will likely help form the basis of an eventual nationwide insurance regulatory framework on AI, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • How States Vary On The Fireman's Rule And Its Applicability

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    A recent decision by the Indiana Court of Appeals, reviving a firefighter’s suit, is illustrative of changes in the application and interpretation by state courts and legislatures of the Fireman’s Rule, which bans first responders from recovering for injuries sustained on the job, says Shea Feagin at Swift Currie.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

  • 5 Legal Considerations For Psychedelic Therapy Sector

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    With multiple developments signaling the rise of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, it is imperative that clinicians understand unique legal nuances ranging from corporate formation to specialized insurance coverage, say Kimberly Chew and Natasha Sumner at Husch Blackwell.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Insured Takeaways From 10th Circ. Interrelated Claims Ruling

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    The Tenth Circuit's recent ruling in American Southwest Mortgage v. Continental Casualty that multiple claims arising from consecutive audit years were interrelated — and thus subject to a per claim limit — creates a concerning precedent for policyholders, so companies should negotiate relevant policy language, says Michael Stockalper at Saxe Doernberger.

  • Protections May Exist For Cos. Affected By Red Sea Attacks

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    Companies whose ships or cargo have been affected by the evolving military conflict in the Red Sea, and the countries under whose flags those ships were traveling, may be able to seek redress through legal action against Yemen or Iran under certain international law mechanisms, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • ERISA Litigation Faces New Frontiers In 2024

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    As plaintiffs firms explore novel theories for recovery and the Department of Labor attempts to broaden the definition of an investment advice fiduciary, 2024 could see new types of Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation after just 100 class actions were filed last year, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • Time To Step Up PFAS Due Diligence In Cross-Border M&A

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    Regulations in the U.S. and EU governing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances will likely evolve to become global standards out of necessity and scale, so PFAS due diligence — particularly for buyers, sellers, and lenders and investors involved in multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions — will be essential in 2024, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.

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