Introduction Insurers are frequently asked to satisfy their duty of good faith and fair dealing by entertaining reasonable settlement offers within the combined limits of the policies. However, primary and excess insurers do not always agree whether a particular claim …
Next Steps for an Excess Insurer After an Unsuccessful Hammer Letter Read more »
The start of 2024 marked the end of an insurance era in Oregon. On December 29, 2023—the last Friday before the new year—the Oregon Supreme Court issued its much-anticipated decision in Moody v. Oregon Community Credit Union, et al., 371 …
In an unexpected and last minute turn of events, the Oregon legislature failed to pass a final-stage version of House Bill 3242 before its regular session adjourned on June 25, 2023 for the remainder of the year. Generally, if HB …
Oregon Legislature Falls Short On Passage of Statutory Bad Faith Cause of Action Read more »
In its recent decision, Brink v. Direct General Ins. Co., 38 F.4th 917 (11th Cir. 2022), the Eleventh Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Florida district court erred when it failed to instruct a jury that an insurer not only owed …
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a long-standing Texas rule: the duty to defend is not implicated unless the insured complies with the policy’s notice-of-suit requirements and demands a defense. Moreno v. Sentinel Ins. …
Under Texas Law, No Tender Means No Obligation To Defend Read more »
In Elephant Insurance Co., LLC v. Kenyon, the Supreme Court of Texas reiterated the framework of an insurer’s common-law duties to insureds under Texas law.[1] In applying that framework to the facts of the case, the Court rejected an attempt …
Texas Supreme Court Axes Policyholder’s Attempt to Expand Insurer Tort Liability Read more »
Waiver, estoppel and forfeiture are doctrines on which insureds often rely to try to create coverage outside the terms of the insurance policy. Insureds will often assert that they are entitled to such extra-contractual coverage based entirely on how the …
Avoid Creating Coverage By Estoppel, Waiver & Forfeiture: California Read more »
On March 6, 2017, the Georgia Supreme Court answered certified questions regarding the application of Georgia’s Pre-Suit Offer statute concluding that O.C.G.A. § 9-11-67.1, the statute dealing with the formation of settlement agreements pursuant to pre-suit offers to settle tort …
Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies Pre-Suit Offer Requirements Read more »
This country’s courts are split on whether the decision to award attorney’s fees in bad faith litigation should be made by the judge or the jury. Earlier this fall, Virginia aligned itself firmly with the former in Revi, LLC v. …
This summer in Nicholas Petroleum, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Cas. Co., 2015 WL 4456185, 2015 Tex. App. LEXIS 7489 (Tex.App., Jul. 21, 2015), a Dallas panel of Texas’ intermediate level appellate court rejected policyholder arguments that the insurer was required to …
Texas Court: No Prejudice Required to Deny for Late Reporting Under a Claims-Made Policy Read more »