It’s hard to believe that it’s been over four years since Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey. Back then, figuring that discretion was the better part of valor, I gathered up my family and drove out to Pennsylvania to wait out the storm. (I still take abuse for that tactic from one of my neighbors, who
Construction defects
The law of subrogation, and how it affects policyholders
By Gene Killian on
“Subrogation” seems to be a simple concept. You suffer a loss. Your insurance company pays for the loss. Your insurance company then assumes your rights against the party that damaged you. But, like everything in the insurance world, subrogation can result in numerous complications. The problem, of course, is that if your insurance company doesn’t…
Yes, construction defects are covered “occurrences” in New Jersey
By Gene Killian on
Are you the parent of a teenager? Have you ever been the parent of a teenager? If the answer to either of those two questions is yes, have you ever felt like you’re banging your head against the wall? You think you’re speaking plain English, but they’re just not getting it.
That’s the way I…
Beware the differences between indemnity agreements and insurance policies
I used to know a guy who worked for a major, nationally known public adjustment company. In years where there were no major hurricanes or tornado incidents, he would literally walk around looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He never overtly wished death or destruction on anyone (as far…
Direct Actions against Insurance Companies
Labor Day has just passed as I write this, and this summer (that went by too quickly) was a busy one for the New Jersey appellate courts, insurance-wise. The New Jersey Supremes, for example, dealt with a question often posed by our clients in construction defect cases: Namely, can a claimant proceed directly against a…
The Policyholder’s Right to Independent Counsel
By Gene Killian on
Posted in Construction defects, Duty to defend
Earlier this year, I posted about whether a policyholder has a right to independent counsel when a possible conflict of interest appears between the carrier and the policyholder. (You can read that post here.) We’re frequently asked that question, because when insurance companies agree to defend a claim, they often send a reservation of…
More developments in insurance coverage for construction defects
Back in the days of the environmental insurance coverage wars, we on the policyholder side argued (eventually successfully in New Jersey) that the word “sudden”, as used in the 1973 version of the pollution exclusion, meant “unexpected” and did not have a temporal connotation. My friends in the defense bar often criticized us for trying…
Insurance coverage for construction defects
By Gene Killian on
The ongoing battles over construction defect coverage remind me of the good old days in the ‘80’s and ‘90s when we used to fight over asbestos and environmental coverage claims (we still have some of those claims, but to a much lesser extent). Construction defects even involve battles over the appropriate trigger of coverage! Ah…
“Ordinance or Law” Coverage for Costs of Repair
I was saddened to learn that Judge Ruggero Aldisert, formerly of the Third Circuit, recently passed away. I never had the privilege of appearing before Judge Aldisert, and I never met the man, but I feel indebted to him for writing two excellent books that were published through NITA: “Logic for Lawyers” and “Winning on…
Additional Insured Coverage
Years ago, there was a Bell Labs facility behind my house, and on Sunday afternoons, the engineers (mostly Indian and Pakistani) would get together and play cricket on the large lawn. I watched the matches quite a bit, but I never could get a grip on the rules. Then a British friend told me that…