May an insurer in New York delay asserting (or conceal, according to Estee Lauder) a late notice defense without waiving it? According to the New York Court of Appeals a jury should decide whether the insurer manifested a clear intent to abandon the defense. Estee Lauder, Inc. v. OneBeacon Insurance Group, LLC, 2016 WL 4792170 (N.Y. Ct. App. Sept. 15, 2016).[1] Estee Lauder initiated this coverage action in 2005, claiming that OneBeacon was obligated to defend and indemnify Estee Lauder for environmental claims relating to Estee Lauder’s alleged dumping of hazardous waste.[2] From 1999 to 2002, OneBeacon sent various reservation of rights and declination letters to Estee Lauder. In the 1999 and 2000 letters, OneBeacon generally reserved all rights to…
Monthly Archives: September 2016
Texas Supreme Court to Decide Whether a Policyholder Can Recover Damages When The Carrier Does Not Breach the Policy
According to both the appellant and the appellee, the Texas Supreme Court already decided this issue. Each, of course, finds a different answer. Cause No., 14-0721, USAA Texas Lloyds Co. v. Gail Menchaca, in the Texas Supreme Court, arises from an unusual fact pattern and some unusual jury findings. Trial plaintiff Gail Menchaca suffered damage to her home as a result of Hurricane Ike. USAA investigated the loss and found some covered damage, but concluded that the repair costs fell below the applicable deductible and therefore issued no payment. Menchaca then sued USAA, asserting claims for breach of contract and several extra-contractual claims, including a failure to adequately investigate her loss. However, Menchaca alleged no damage from those extra-contractual claims,…
Missouri Federal Court Identifies Roadblocks For An Excess Carriers’ Claim For Attorney Fees Against Primary Carrier
The court’s decision in Axis Specialty Insurance Company v. New Hampshire Insurance Company highlights the scope of recovery available for an excess carrier seeking to recover against a primary carrier. Emboldened by the recent Missouri Supreme Court decision recognizing the right of an excess carrier to sue a primary carrier for failure to reasonably settle an underlying claim in Scottsdale Ins. Co. v. Addison Ins. Co., 448 S.W.3d 818 (Mo. Banc 2014), Axis Specialty sought to recoup not only its excess indemnity payment but also its attorney fees incurred in monitoring and eventually settling the underlying lawsuit as well as its attorney fees in pursuing its equitable subrogation and the assigned claims for bad faith and vexatious litigation. In Scottsdale, the…
