SDV Insights

As the NFL Nears the Endzone, Coverage Uncertainty Awaits - The Insurance Coverage Wake of the NFL Concussion Litigation

On November 21, 2022, in the first case ever to reach a jury against the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA"), a Los Angeles County jury found the NCAA was not responsible for the death of former University of Southern California linebacker Matthew Gee.

Read More +

The Importance of Clearly Stated Life Insurance Beneficiary Designations

The recent case, Prudential Insurance Company of America v. Sheppard, decided by the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Florida, highlights the importance of reviewing life insurance policy beneficiary designations for clarity and accuracy, to ensure that death benefits are properly paid to the intended beneficiaries.

Read More +

Washington Supreme Court Interprets Ensuing Loss Exception in All-Risk Property Insurance Policy

The "ensuing loss" clause is a provision that restores coverage for property insurance claims that are subject to certain policy exclusions, such as "faulty workmanship" and "faulty design."

Read More +

One's Loss is Another's "Claim"

While analyzing liability policies, courts grapple with a common issue: what constitutes a claim under a claims-made or claims-made-and-reported provision? When third-party claimants file suit, the analysis is often straightforward; the complaint itself is the claim.

Read More +

Hawaii Supreme Court Bars Insurers from Billing Policyholders for Uncovered Defense Costs

Across the country, there is a split in authority as to whether an insurance company should be allowed to recoup defense costs where it is ultimately determined that the carrier has no duty to defend under the policy and the policy is silent as to such reimbursement.

Read More +

Life Insurance Contestability Clauses and Post-Claim Underwriting: A Beneficiary's Pitfall

Insurance is supposed to give us some level of confidence that should coverage be needed, it will be there. Often, however, this expectation does not correlate with reality, and beneficiaries are faced with unexpected denials on technical grounds. Life insurance is no exception.

Read More +

CGL Policy May Not Cover Cybersecurity and Data-Related Losses

The construction industry, like many other industries, has experienced an increased reliance on, and implementation of, technology in the past few years.

Read More +

Recent Florida Legislative Changes Shorten Both Statute of Limitation ("SOL") and Statute of Repose ("SOR") for Construction Defect Claims

The Florida Legislature and Governor DeSantis passed Senate Bill 360, effective April 13, 2023, which imposes significant changes to Florida's statute of limitation ("SOL") and statute of repose ("SOR") periods prescribed in Florida Statute § 95.11.

Read More +

The "Expected or Intended" Erosion of the Duty to Defend in Opioid Litigation

The opioid crisis in America is undoubtedly one of the most pervasive and unrelenting public health emergencies that our country has faced in recent memory. Consequently, our nation's court system has been taxed with the unenviable job of weighing the moral and legal ramifications of the pharmaceutical industry's actions in the context of an ever-growing number of opioid-related lawsuits.

Read More +

Safeguarding Coverage Integrity: Vigilance in the Face of Insurance Backtracking

In a lawsuit resulting from Zurich American Insurance Company ("Zurich") and American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Company's ("AGLIC") sudden change in coverage position, the First Circuit recently certified to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court the question of whether rainwater accumulating on a roof meets the definition of 'surface waters' under Massachusetts law.

Read More +

CONTACT US


The email you are sending does not create an attorney-client relationship with SDV. We do not agree to representation until we have performed a check for conflicts of interest and expressly agree to provide services in a particular matter via an engagement letter. The information submitted to us via this website will NOT be treated as confidential or privileged as a lawyer/client communication and our receipt of this information does not prevent us from representing a client related to the subject of your inquiry.

Northeast

35 Nutmeg Drive, Ste 140
Trumbull, CT 06611

203.287.2100

136 Madison Avenue, 6th Fl.
New York, NY 10016

203.287.2100

233 Mount Airy Road
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

973.446.7300

Southeast

999 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Ste 603
Naples, FL 34108

239.316.7244

West Coast

One BetterWorld Circle, Ste 300
Temecula, CA 92590

951.365.3145

SDV is headquartered in Connecticut, with regional offices located in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California to better serve our clients nationwide. We have the experience and insight to effectively address your insurance coverage concerns and provide practical solutions to any risk transfer challenges you face.