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Certificates of insurance (a.k.a COIs) are used in contract relationships all the time. COIs give details of the insurance policies held by a contracting party as of a certain date.  They usually include information such as the policy number, the name of the insurance company, the type of insurance, the limits of liability, theMagnifying-contract name of the policyholder, and a list of any additional insureds.  While the information in COIs may be important for you to understand when you are entering into a contract, what may be even more important for you to understand are their limits. Continue Reading ›

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Companies face significant business risks from contagious outbreak. Interruptions in supply arrangements, restrictions on travel, employee downtime, and potential liabilities for infecting third parties are just a few of the risks plaguing business. From Legionnaire’s disease to avian flu, H1N1 to Ebola, businesses and institutions have suffered repeated dislocations and disruptions because of infectious diseases. But as we know, businesses are not defenseless. Continue Reading ›

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If your company faces liability arising out of exposure to asbestos-containing products or materials, it may pay—a lot—to take a second look at your liability insurance policies containing asbestos exclusions. They may not exclude your loss after all. On March 3, 2015, a Pennsylvania federal district court ruled in General Refractories Co. v. First State Insurance Co. that an asbestos exclusion in two general liability policies is ambiguous, and does not bar coverage for a multitude of asbestos-related lawsuits against a manufacturer and supplier of asbestos-containing products. Continue Reading ›

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A unanimous panel of the Illinois Appellate Court recently held that three insurers have a duty to defend any case in which the bare underlying allegations—if proved—would render their insured liable, regardless of extrinsic facts. This sweeping ruling confirms that the duty to defend is a form of “litigation insurance,” protecting the insured against the costs of being wrongly sued, however groundless the claims against it may be. The case is Illinois Tool Works Inc. and ITW Finishing LLC v. Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, et al. Continue Reading ›