The European Union’s (“EU”) General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) has been in effect for just over a year, and the full extent of the data privacy law’s global impact is just now being fully realized. The GDPR is a privacy law enacted under the guiding principle of privacy as a fundamental right, and as such, […]

International Risk Management Institute, Inc. recently published an article written by Greg Podolak, with the assistance of Celia Waters on Additional Insured Coverage and Auto Insurance. Auto insurance can play a vital role as an insurance recovery asset to an upstream party, therefore properly navigating coverage on a downstream party’s auto policy is important. Be […]

The Travelers Indemnity Company (“Travelers”) recently released a new proprietary commercial general liability (“CGL”) form designated CG T1 00 02 19. The form is largely reflective of current ISO forms but includes one change that can significantly impact risk transfer when used by a trade contractor who has promised additional insured coverage to an upstream […]

Determining the scope of discovery can be challenging, particularly when an insurance bad faith claim is involved. Courts often face the difficult decision of weighing the importance of preserving attorney-client privilege with the public policy rationale of protecting an insured against their insurer’s bad faith behavior. The Supreme Court of South Carolina recently recognized this […]

In honor of Shark Week, that annual television-event where we eagerly flip on the Discovery Channel to get our fix of these magnificent (and terrifying!) creatures, I was inspired to write about the “predatory” practices we’ve encountered recently in our construction insurance practice. The more sophisticated the business and risk management department is, the more […]

Policyholders in Puerto Rico should be aware of significant benefits provided by recent amendments to the Insurance Code. New rules establish an expedited method of property insurance dispute resolution, mandatory expedited partial payments in the event of catastrophic events, and protection against bad faith claims handling by insurers. Appraisal Process with a Puerto Rican Twist […]

On June 24, 2019, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the plain language of appraisal provisions in insurance policies, requiring “impartial appraisers,” direct appraisers to be “unbiased, disinterested, and unswayed by personal interest,” regardless of who hires them, and prohibits the party-appointed appraisers from acting as advocates. A common and attractive alternative dispute resolution option, […]

The California Supreme Court recently accepted a certified question from the Ninth Circuit regarding coverage for claims arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). The Court will determine whether a commercial general liability (“CGL”) policy’s modified personal and advertising injury coverage clause includes claims based on the insured’s sending of unsolicited text messages that […]

What do you do when your house falls out from underneath you? Over the last few years, homeowners in northeastern Connecticut have been suing their insurers for denying coverage for claims based on deteriorating foundations in their homes. The lawsuits, which have come to be known as the “crumbling concrete cases,” stem from the use […]