Hiring Summer Employees? Make Sure Your Business is Covered.
6/3/19
By: Allison Hyatt
Summer is here and many businesses are looking to hire additional employees to cover the influx of business inspired by vacation season. One option is to use a temporary employment staffing agency to cover seasonal employee needs. …
The Enforceable Unwritten Exclusions and their Business Risks
5/31/19
By: Rob Cutbirth
Claim experience on a local or national basis, or generalized soft or hard insurance market conditions, can affect an insurer’s decision on pricing and offered coverage terms. Premiums and underwriting guidelines may change to address market or …
The Third Circuit Upholds District Court Ruling That Trucking Company Employees Not Entitled to 1 Million in UIM Benefits
5/22/19
By: Erin Lamb
In Farmland Mutual Insurance v. Sechrist, the Third Circuit upheld a district court’s decision rejecting the claims of employees involved in a serious accident while driving a vehicle for Clouse Trucking that they were entitled to …
Insured's Flood Claims Deluged By Texas Federal Court
5/22/19
By: William Gildea
The importance of clear and unambiguous language in insurance policies recently came to light in the United States District Court, Southern District of Texas. The Court recently granted Lexington Insurance Company (“Lexington”) summary judgment after an insured …
Could There Be Any Insurance Coverage For The Notre-Dame Cathedral Fire?
5/20/19
By: Jessica C. Samford
A month ago, the world was shocked with the news and images of the Notre-Dame catching fire, resulting in the destruction of some of its awe-inspiring features. It had been reported that the cathedral in its …
Is Flood Insurance the Next Big Thing in California?
4/19/19
By: Matthew Jones
California’s winter has been quite wet given the significant amount of rain. With heavy rain comes flooding and mudslides. California is not used to either of those types of events; but maybe it should be. Recently, the …
Cooperation: A Policyholder’s Duty…or Downfall?
4/12/19
By: Marc Finkel
A policyholder’s duty to cooperate with its insurer is one of the most significant commitments made in the relationship between an insurer and its insured. It goes without saying that the consequences can be dire for an …
First Circuit Affirms Ruling That Third-Party Administrator Responded Reasonably To Settlement Offers Within Policy Limits
4/9/19
By: Bill Buechner
We recently posted a blog (see here) concerning an appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals from a Massachusetts district court decision finding that a third-party administrator (Sedgwick) did not violate the Massachusetts Consumer Protection …
Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies the Essential Elements of a Failure to Settle Claim within Policy Limits
3/18/19
By: Phil Savrin
In recent years, Georgia has become fertile ground for setting up insurance companies for extra-contractual damages based on the failure to settle a liability claim within policy limits. Partly, the reason for this reputation is that the …
First Circuit Court of Appeals to Decide Dispute Involving Handling of Settlement Demands within Policy Limits
3/15/19
By: Ben N. Dunlap
A claimant’s demand to settle a case within the limits of a defendant’s liability insurance policy can lead to a variety of outcomes driven by the particular allegations, evidence, liability and damages evaluations, procedural posture, and …
City Hacks – Atlanta’s 2018 Cyberattack and the Growing Need for Cyber Liability Insurance
2/12/19
By: Matthew Weiss
Already a growing area of liability insurance for businesses, the importance of cyber insurance for local governments came to the forefront last March when the City of Atlanta suffered a malware attack in which its computer networks …
Cancelling a Financed Policy: Reliance on a Power of Attorney
2/8/19
By: Eric Benedict
When a prospective insured is applying for and obtaining coverage, no matter the type of risk, the cost of the premiums is likely to be a foremost concern. To cover the cost of the premium, an insured …