Insurance Coverage Committee (Torts, Insurance and Compensation Law)

The Insurance Coverage Committee held its spring advanced coverage seminar on May 20 (NYC), June 3 (Buffalo and Long Island), and June 17 (Albany). Topics were:

• The Top 10 List: Recent General liability Coverage Decisions (the most significant decisions rendered by trial court, Appellate Departments and the Court of Appeals that affect your practice and impact the insurance industry).
• Hot Issues Involving Auto Coverage (recent developments and cases in auto coverage including uninsured/underinsured coverage; priority of coverage in ride-sharing scenarios (Uber, Lyft, etc.); and no fault and no-fault threshold).
• Surplus and Excess Lines Insurance: The Need To Place Insurance (coverage issues unique to non-admitted, surplus lines, policyholder-owned, and captives; significance of regulatory divisions such as NAIC, NIMA and SLIMPACT; and understanding the role of state regulations when placing excess line insurance and underwriting policies by unauthorized insurers)
• Emerging Products and Coverage Issues (timely issues surrounding cyber liability, exposures resulting from climate and weather losses, and drone insurance – do you need it and what does it take to get it).
• Municipality Coverage: The Flint Water Crisis And Impact On Coverage (coverage issues arising in connection with lead and other pollutants in a municipal water supply, including with respect to third-party bodily injury and property damage claims, ratepayer claims and whether they trigger commercial general liability, public entity management and public official liability policies, and first-party coverage for damage to municipal infrastructure; overview of first-party and third-party coverage for impacted landlords and homeowners).
• Homeowners Insurance: First-party and Liability Coverage (policy conditions and coverage in first-party claims; who’s covered, who’s not; important exclusions that surface in the liability portion of a homeowner’s policy; and how the changes in policy forms impact coverage).
• Ethical Obligations Surrounding Coverage Claim and Litigation (ethical obligations from both an insurer and policyholder’s perspective related to coverage advice, coverage litigation, and the defense and settlement of suits against the insured).

Committee Chair

Paul J. Callahan, Esq.
Brown & Kelly, LLP
350 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-3750
(716) 854-2620
Email: [email protected]