Property

  • July 31, 2025

    Insurer Avoids Businesses' COVID-19 Coverage Claims

    A property insurer for numerous restaurants, bars and other small businesses owes no coverage for their consolidated business interruption claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Illinois federal court ruled, looking to the laws of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Tennessee.

  • July 31, 2025

    Judge Questions Gov't Objection To Shielding FEMA Funds

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday questioned the Trump administration's assertion that it has not redirected funds allocated by Congress for natural disaster mitigation efforts toward other Federal Emergency Management Agency programs, even as the government was objecting to states' narrow request to protect the funds for now.

  • July 31, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    State Farm must pay over $54.6 million in vehicle valuation class actions, an AIG unit doesn't owe coverage for an herbicide damage dispute, Allianz must provide coverage for a hot air balloon company's passenger crash suits, and an RV park can proceed with a suit against its insurance broker. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • July 30, 2025

    State Farm Ordered To Pay $54.6M Over Vehicle Valuations

    State Farm must pay more than $54.6 million across two class actions for underpaying the value of totaled vehicles via a "typical negotiation" deduction, a Washington federal court ruled, noting the plaintiffs provided "undisputed" evidence that State Farm violated the state's Consumer Protection Act.

  • July 30, 2025

    Davis Polk, King & Spalding Build $2.35B AccuLynx Sale

    Data analytics and technology company Verisk, advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, on Wednesday announced plans to acquire software-as-a-service company AccuLynx, led by King & Spalding LLP, in a $2.35 billion cash deal.

  • July 30, 2025

    Wash. Condo Group Seeks $10M In Water Damage Coverage

    A condominium association said its Country Financial insurers must provide coverage for an estimated $10.4 million in hidden water damage, telling a Washington federal court the insurers have failed to make a coverage determination in the two years since the association submitted its damage claim. 

  • July 29, 2025

    Insurer Says Misrepresentations Void Real Estate Co.'s Policy

    Material misrepresentations in a commercial real estate firm's insurance renewal application mean the insurer has no duty to defend the firm or a former director against a $6.5 million claim related to the sale of a client's properties, the insurer told an Indiana federal court.

  • July 28, 2025

    Electrolux Range's Defect Led To Fire, Insurer Tells Court

    Three Electrolux companies manufactured ranges with a foreseeable defect that allowed the products to unintentionally activate, a property insurer told a Connecticut federal court as it sought to recover the claim payout for a homeowner's kitchen fire.

  • July 28, 2025

    Insurer Must Cover Runoff Settlement, Auto Co. Says

    An automobile auction company told a Texas federal court that a Liberty Mutual unit must indemnify a settlement reached over underlying claims that the company caused storm water runoff in neighboring properties when it cleared several parcels of land for car and machinery storage.

  • July 25, 2025

    Nationwide Urges Mich. Justices To Let Unitary Tax Win Stand

    Entities of Nationwide urged the Michigan Supreme Court to reject the state tax agency's arguments that the insurance company's affiliates are required to file taxes as separate entities instead of as a unitary group that can share credits among its members.

  • July 24, 2025

    Renewed Bid For National Reinsurer May Not Rein In Costs

    A revamped legislative proposal to create a national reinsurer would significantly change the federal government's role in insurance markets, but experts say it's not clear that the program would effectively address insurance cost and availability issues.

  • July 24, 2025

    Lincoln National Beats Investor Suit Over $2.6B Loss, For Now

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday tossed with leave to amend a proposed securities class action alleging that Lincoln National Corp. misled investors about its financial health before reporting a $2.6 billion net loss in 2022, finding that the investors didn't specify when Lincoln National had access to certain data and studies.

  • July 24, 2025

    Silica Injury Claims Reemerge As Pollutant Trend To Watch

    In what is considered by some as “the next asbestos,” lawsuits alleging injury due to silica exposure are ramping up and the way in which they unfold may bring coverage questions under commercial general liability policies center stage, policyholder attorney Jeff Kiburtz of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP told Law360. Here, he shares his optimism for policyholders' success in litigating these claims and why he believes this topic is one to watch in the CGL industry.

  • July 24, 2025

    Insurer Asks 4th Circ. To Nix $1.1M Roof Damage Verdict

    An insurer specializing in covering religious organizations asked the Fourth Circuit to set aside a $1.1 million jury verdict it faces over roof damage that a North Carolina church said was caused by snow, arguing the lower court's jury instructions adopted the wrong causation standard.

  • July 24, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    The Second Circuit ruled that a former New York state official is immune from the National Rifle Association's First Amendment suit, the Eighth Circuit said a Minnesota bar isn't entitled to nearly $2 million for an arson, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a Georgia church's $1.75 million coverage win. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • July 23, 2025

    8th Circ. Denies Bar Owner Coverage For Ex-Husband's Arson

    An insurer for a Minnesota bar has no duty to cover a nearly $2 million fire intentionally caused by one of the owners, the Eighth Circuit ruled, rejecting the other co-owner's argument that the "innocent co-insured doctrine" extended to the bar's corresponding corporate entities.

  • July 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Gun Club's Bid For Permitting Cost Coverage

    An insurer for a Washington shooting club had no duty to cover roughly $400,000 in costs to secure proper site development permits after county officials won a public nuisance lawsuit against the club, the Ninth Circuit ruled, finding the club can't be covered for its deliberate actions.

  • July 21, 2025

    Insurer Can't Get New Trial After $1.75M Loss, 11th Circ. Says

    The Eleventh Circuit on Monday upheld a $1.75 million verdict a Georgia church won against its insurance company in a storm damage coverage dispute, ruling that the insurer largely abandoned its defenses against the judgment before the case ever landed in front of the appellate panel.

  • July 18, 2025

    Law360 Names 2025's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2025, our list of more than 150 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

  • July 17, 2025

    Top Legal Developments That Could Impact LA Fire Aftermath

    While the full consequences of a series of devastating wildfires that struck Los Angeles in January are still becoming clear, insurance experts and attorneys have pointed to a series of lawsuits and decisions as having important implications for the city's recovery.

  • July 17, 2025

    Insurer Says No Coverage For $1.7M Apartment Damage

    A property insurer for an apartment complex owner told a Washington federal court it owes no coverage for a "wind-driven rain" claim that the owner said totals more than $1.7 million in repair costs, alleging that the owner's prior insurer already denied coverage for the same claim.

  • July 17, 2025

    Insurance Litigation Week In Review

    Florida's insurer of last resort was hit with a lawsuit over its use of arbitration, an insurer sought to limit its coverage exposure for 175 silica injury lawsuits to a single policy and the Ninth Circuit issued a no-coverage ruling concerning a $58.5 million judgment over mishandled bodily remains. Here, Law360 takes a look at the past week's top insurance news.

  • July 17, 2025

    Mass Deportations Could Raise Insurance Costs, Profs Say

    The Trump administration's mass deportation program could increase costs for insurance carriers and homeowners by reducing the number of undocumented immigrants so critical to the construction industry, business and insurance professors say.

  • July 16, 2025

    Travelers Avoids Bad Faith Claim In Yacht Damage Dispute

    A Travelers unit did not act in bad faith when handling a yacht owner's claim for coverage after its yacht was destroyed during Hurricane Irma, a Florida federal court ruled Wednesday, saying, at the time, it was unclear whether Florida law or federal maritime law applied.

  • July 16, 2025

    Insurer Says LA Property Owner's Coverage Capped At $1.8M

    An insurer said it has paid all benefits owed to a property owner seeking an additional $2.1 million in coverage for fire damage, telling a California federal court Wednesday that the owner is trying to hold it responsible for its own failure to adequately insure the property.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Argument Techniques For Policyholder Advocates

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    Winning insurance coverage disputes often comes down to who has articulated the more compelling interpretation of the relevant policy language, which is why the best policyholder advocates come back to certain tried and true argument approaches, says Greg Van Houten at Haynes Boone.

  • Improving Comms Between Trial Attys And Tech Witnesses

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    In major litigation involving complex technology, attorneys should employ certain strategies to collaborate with companies' technical personnel more effectively to enhance both the attorney's understanding of the subject matter and the expert's ability to provide effective testimony in court, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • A View Of The Shifting Insurance Regulatory Landscape

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    Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland explore how the Federal Insurance Office's climate report, the new presidential administration and the California wildfires might affect the insurance regulatory landscape.

  • Courts Should Nix Conferencing Rule In 1 Discovery Scenario

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    Parties are generally required to meet and confer to resolve a discovery dispute before bringing a related motion, but courts should dispense with this conferencing requirement when a party fails to specify a time by which it will complete its production, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law.

  • Illuminating The Trend Of Florida's Unpaid Hurricane Claims

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    The sheer number of insurance claims closed without payment for damage caused by Hurricanes Milton and Helene reveals a systemic problem within Florida's insurance industry exacerbated by complex issues, including climate change and state regulators' resource limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • Top Considerations For Insurance Companies In 2025

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    As insurance industry participants look to plan for the year, regulatory changes, climate-related challenges, the ongoing effects of social inflation and the potential for significant mergers and acquisitions will be among the key items for insurer boards and management to have on their radar, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • What Public View Of CEO's Killing Means For Corporate Trials

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    Given the proliferation of anti-corporate sentiments following recent charges against Luigi Mangione in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO, attorneys who represent corporate clients and executives will need to adapt their trial strategy to account for juror anger, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation Consulting.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

  • Insurance Considerations For LA Wildfire Recovery

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    Businesses and homeowners affected by the destructive Southern California wildfires must act swiftly and strategically to navigate the complexities of the insurance recovery process, including by identifying all applicable policies, documenting damage thoroughly and keeping abreast of relevant state law, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Artfully Conceding Liability Can Offer Defendants 3 Benefits

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    In the rare case that a company makes the strategic decision to admit liability, it’s important to do so clearly and consistently in order to benefit from the various forms of armor that come from an honest acknowledgment, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • LA Wildfires' Effect On Calif. Insurer Of Last Resort

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    Attorneys at Willkie discuss the background of California's insurer of last resort — known as the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan — and examine the process of assessing member insurers and relevant recent property insurance market developments in light of the destruction from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • 4 Property Insurance Action Steps For LA Policyholders

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    Property insurance will play a vital role in rebuilding the areas affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, and policyholders should be aware of key aspects of that coverage in order to maximize their insurance recovery, say attorneys at Cohen Ziffer.

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