SDV Insights

While analyzing liability policies, courts grapple with a common issue: what constitutes a claim under a claims-made or claims-made-and-reported provision? When third-party claimants file suit, the analysis is often straightforward; the complaint itself is the claim.

Across the country, there is a split in authority as to whether an insurance company should be allowed to recoup defense costs where it is ultimately determined that the carrier has no duty to defend under the policy and the policy is silent as to such reimbursement.

Insurance is supposed to give us some level of confidence that should coverage be needed, it will be there. Often, however, this expectation does not correlate with reality, and beneficiaries are faced with unexpected denials on technical grounds. Life insurance is no exception.

The construction industry, like many other industries, has experienced an increased reliance on, and implementation of, technology in the past few years.

The Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis passed Senate Bill 360, effective April 13, 2023, which imposes significant changes to Florida's statute of limitation ("SOL") and statute of repose ("SOR") periods prescribed in Florida Statute § 95.11.

The opioid crisis in America is undoubtedly one of the most pervasive and unrelenting public health emergencies that our country has faced in recent memory. Consequently, our nation's court system has been taxed with the unenviable job of weighing the moral and legal ramifications of the pharmaceutical industry's actions in the context of an ever-growing number of opioid-related lawsuits.

In a lawsuit resulting from Zurich American Insurance Company ("Zurich") and American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Company's ("AGLIC") sudden change in coverage position, the First Circuit recently certified to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court the question of whether rainwater accumulating on a roof meets the definition of 'surface waters' under Massachusetts law.

In Kayle Flores v. Life Insurance Company of North America ("Flores II"), the Ninth Circuit agreed with the insured and reversed the Central District of California's finding that her Long-Term Disability claim was barred by res judicata.

Florida's newly formed Sixth District Court of Appeal ("Sixth DCA") recently certified conflict with Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal on the issue of retroactive application of the pre-suit notice requirement contained in Florida Statute §627.70152.

In National Casualty Company v. Georgia School Board Association - Risk Management Fund, the Eleventh Circuit recently affirmed a Georgia rule under which irreconcilable "other insurance" clauses will not be enforced.