SDV Insights

It is rare for the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in cases involving issues of insurance. However, the Court's decision to grant certiorari in Great Lakes Insurance SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co., LLC, 143 S. Ct. 999 (2023), may substantially alter the use of choice-of-law provisions in maritime insurance policies, and possibly, insurance policies in general.

Following significant backlash in reaction to the Nevada legislature's new law prohibiting enforcement of any provisions in liability insurance policies dictating that defense costs are included within the limits of insurance, the Nevada Division of Insurance issued an emergency regulation further clarifying the law.

The Southern District of New York recently ordered a directors and officers ("D&O") liability insurer to pay up to $4.5 million to reimburse an insured investment firm for the costs the firm incurred defending an arbitration proceeding brought by a former executive.

Nevada's legislature recently passed a groundbreaking law imposing two prohibitions on insurers. First, the law prohibits insurers from issuing or renewing any liability insurance policy with an "eroding limits" provision.

In Gemini Insurance Company v. Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas found an employer's liability policy only provides coverage for bodily injury claims brought against the Named Insured by its own employees and NOT employees of its subcontractors.

SDV's Will Bennett joined the latest episode of Insuring Cyber Podcast. Will and host Elizabeth Blosfield, Deputy Editor at Carrier Management, took a dive deep into the captivating world of generative AI chatbots in the insurance industry and explored the benefits and risks associated with their use and the use of AI in the insurance industry in general.

The New Jersey Appellate Division in Handy & Harman v. Beazley USA Services, Inc., provided clarity regarding the interpretation of the Prior or Pending Litigation Exclusion in a site-specific environmental liability insurance policy.

On March 24, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law House Bill 837 which significantly impacts several critical aspects of modern Florida civil litigation, particularly insurance disputes. SDV has actively monitored the evolution of this legislation, including substantial commentary from the legal and insurance communities that followed its enactment. In this multi-part series, we will explore the critical developments impacting policyholders and what to expect moving forward.

A recent decision by the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut further confirms that Connecticut courts follow the majority rule that contractual anti-assignment clauses do not bar assignment of an insured's claim after the loss occurred.

Cannabis businesses have now entered the economy of numerous states across the country. Based on the recent regulatory changes which have allowed these businesses to operate, business owners should evaluate several insurance considerations which are unique for cannabis-related companies.