Most insurance policies contain a contractual provision that sets forth the time frame in which the insured must commence suit should a dispute arise concerning the policy. In many instances, these limitation provisions provide that the insured must file suit no later than one year after the date of the loss.… Continue Reading
Property insurance is purchased to help protect an insured with the consequences of a natural disaster or serious storm. Far too often we hear from confused policyholders when their insurance carrier attempts to delay payment of a valid covered claim or unreasonably delays the payment of covered benefits. Fortunately, Wyoming provides several legal avenues to … Continue Reading
Some insurance policies will contain a clause within the conditions section entitled “Conformity to State Law.” This provision contains language similar to: “Conformity to State Law. When a policy provision is in conflict with the applicable state law of the State in which this policy is issued, the law of the state will apply.”… Continue Reading
As discussed in a previous post, Colorado allows policyholders—even repair vendors such as contractors or roofers where there has been an assignment of insurance benefits—to bring a cause of action for bad faith where an insurance company unreasonably delays or denies the payment of covered insurance benefits.1… Continue Reading
Uncertainty regarding a date of loss could lead to a court’s denial of a defendant insurance company’s motion to dismiss. The court in ID Ventures, LLC v. Chubb Custom Insurance Company,1 addressed this issue.… Continue Reading
In Arizona, the statute of limitations for a cause of action for insurance benefits will begin to run from the date the insurer committed a breach, unless the policy states otherwise (i.e., from the “inception of” or “date of” loss). Typically, this means from the date the insurer denies claim benefits to its insured.1… Continue Reading
Many of you may recall that, during the Spring of 2016, many parts of Texas were hit with storms of varying severity that caused significant property damage. Some of the resulting insurance claims that arose from those storms have dragged on, including a number that simply fell by the wayside as both carriers and adjusters … Continue Reading
Although we are over 5 years past Hurricane Sandy, flood insurance coverage issues are still being litigated. I previously wrote about a decision out of the U.S. District Court of the District of New Jersey, Migliaro v. Fidelity National Indemnity Insurance Company.1… Continue Reading
On a matter of first impression, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals recently concluded that an insured’s claim for statutory penalty interest due on an untimely payment was not subject to the policy’s two-year limitation period. In Palmer Park Square, LLC v. Scottsdale Insurance Company,1 the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court’s conclusion and found … Continue Reading
While Colorado Revised Statute § 13-80-101(1) provides that a lawsuit based on a breach of contract must be brought within three years after the cause of action accrues, Colorado allows insurance companies to shorten this period within the insurance contract to as little as six months from the date on which the damage occurred.1 Most … Continue Reading
This blog has often discussed the importance of carefully reading your insurance policy. It is imperative to know of your rights should your insurance claim become problematic. It is crucial to know the policy’s suit limitation clause as well as your state’s statute of limitations, so you don’t miss the filing deadline. Once this period … Continue Reading
Edmund Sanderson owned a house in Plattsburgh, New York. On January 7, 2014, he discovered water and mold damage at his home. He then notified his insurance carrier, First Liberty Insurance Corporation. After several months of negotiating, Sanderson realized filing a lawsuit was the only option he had.… Continue Reading
Often an insured goes to his insurance broker or agent hoping to find the same coverage at a better rate, but often does not find out that the same coverage was not procured until after there has been a loss or claim. Whether such a request will support a cause of action is a determination … Continue Reading
Section 13-214.4 of the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure provides that “[a]ll causes of action brought by any person or entity under any statute or any legal or equitable theory against an insurance producer1 . . . concerning the sale, placement, procurement, renewal, cancellation of, or failure to procure any policy of insurance shall be … Continue Reading
Monday’s hailstorm was likely one of the most damaging hailstorms to impact the Denver metropolitan area. Thousands of homeowners, business owners, and associations will be filing insurance claims in the coming days, if they haven’t already done so.… Continue Reading
A recent case out of the District of New Jersey addressed language in the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (“SFIP”) that permits the insured to bring suit within one year after “the date of the written denial of all or part of a claim.”… Continue Reading
On November 30, 2016, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed an order by the Northern District of Texas granting summary judgment for State Farm that an insured’s breach of contract claim was time barred under the limitations clause in the policy and by statute, because it accrued as a matter of law when State … Continue Reading
There are times when public insurance adjusters or lawyers representing policyholders get claims where the policyholder did not discover damage until some time after the actual date of loss. For example, property owners sometimes don’t discover their hail damage until they experience leaks and ask a public insurance adjuster or roofing contractor to inspect their … Continue Reading
Last April I became licensed as an attorney in the State of Alabama. When discussing claims with insureds, one of the first questions asked is, “what is the statute of limitations in xxxxx state?” Our blog has not addressed the statute of limitations in Alabama, and below is a quick cheat sheet for Alabama insureds.… Continue Reading
My last blog, The First Thing You Do Is Read the Policy, Part I: Limitations Clauses in Texas and the Spicewood Case, was the first in a series on “limitations clauses” in insurance policies. I imagined old Andy Griffith (à la Matlock) sitting around a cracker barrel in his blue seersucker suit telling young lawyers … Continue Reading
One of the first things lawyers look at when presented with a potential new case is the statute of limitations (deadline to file suit) and whether the deadline has passed. That issue is trickier in first-party property cases because carriers usually insert a limitations clause into the policy, saying suit must be brought within a … Continue Reading
As attorneys for first-party property claims, we must vet through claims to see if we can be “The Policyholder’s Advocate” on any case. Some of the initial questions I ask a potential client are: 1) When was the date of loss? 2) When did you notify the carrier? 3) How and when did you notify … Continue Reading
In the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York, the Honorable Barbara Jaffe, granted defendants’ Arch Insurance Group and Arch Specialty Insurance Company’s motions, dismissing them from a Superstorm Sandy claim on August 13, 2015.… Continue Reading
I recently talked with a potential client and his corporate counsel and they inquired about the law in Kansas regarding insurance policies containing limiting language on the time to file suit. There are a couple of cases on point in Kansas, and I chose to write about the Infinity1 case because it details the evolution … Continue Reading
