Over time, New York’s courts have erected multiple barriers to policyholders seeking to recover insurance for long-tail, progressive injury claims—such as environmental or asbestos liabilities—that can implicate multiple policies over multiple policy terms. Now, in a New York minute, just weeks after hearing oral argument, the Empire State’s highest court leveled the playing field by endorsing the “all sums” and “vertical exhaustion” approach to allocation advocated by a policyholder, at least as to policies containing “non-cumulation” and “prior insurance” provisions.
In In re Viking Pump, Inc., New York’s Court of Appeals did not overrule its 2002 decision in Consolidated Edison Co. of New York v. Allstate Ins. Co., which had applied pro rata allocation where the non-cumulation clause argument was not raised, but the court made clear that pro rata allocation is not the default rule in New York. Rather, the specific wording of the triggered policies will control, and can require allocation on an all-sums basis. This is a huge win for policyholders with New York liabilities and a further endorsement, by a prestigious court, of the “all sums” approach to allocation.
That was the message a federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York delivered when she ruled that Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s had waived attorney-client privilege by communicating with their counsel through a London broker.
ourth Circuit decision should reassure policyholders in Virginia (and nationwide). Despite insurers’ skepticism, general liability insurance may in fact cover cyber events.
Say your company’s just been sued, received a demand letter, suffered massive property damage, or incurred some other type of substantial loss. If your routine practice in these high-stress situations is to consider potentially applicable insurance, you’re ahead of the curve and should pat yourself on the back. Because too often, even if understandably, insurance is an afterthought to companies in the midst of a crisis. Unfortunately, in such situations, when a company does get around to making an insurance claim, the insurer commonly denies coverage on the basis of late notice.