Homeowners Insurance
West Virginia's Highest Court Finds "Collapse" to be Ambiguous and Rules that It Includes Something Less than "Complete Falling In"
West Virginia's highest court, the Supreme Court of Appeals, has ruled that the term "collapse" as used (but not defined) in a homeowner's insurance policy was ambiguous, meant something less than "complete falling in" of a kitchen floor, and included "substantial impairment of the structural integrity" of the floor. The court also held that whether an insured should have known that decay was causing her kitchen floor to sink was a genuine issue of material fact that had to be decided by a jury. Read More

Automobile Insurance
Lamborghini Coverage Case Motors On after Federal Court Finds Proper Joinder
A federal district court in California has denied two defendants' motions to dismiss claims brought against them by an insurance carrier in a case involving questions about insurance coverage of damage to a 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo, finding that the defendants had been properly joined. Read More

Automobile Insurance
Injured Party May Not Proceed against Bankrupt Judgment Debtor's Insurance Carrier, Arkansas Appeals Court Rules
An Arkansas appellate court has affirmed a trial court's decision and has ruled that an injured party that could not recover a judgment against an insured who entered bankruptcy could not proceed against his insurance carrier. Read More

Commercial Property
Insurer Properly Canceled Jewelry Store's Policy after Notice from Premium Finance Company, Appellate Court Finds
An intermediate appellate court in New York has ruled that an insurance company had properly canceled a jewelry store's insurance policy after receiving notice from the premium financing company, and that neither the insurer nor its insurance broker had a duty to "call upon" the premium financing company to make certain that the policy remained in effect. Read More