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Insurance

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Full-Text Articles in Torts

Debunking The Myth That Insurance Coverage Is Not Available Or Allowed For Intentional Torts Or Damages, Christopher French Jan 2012

Debunking The Myth That Insurance Coverage Is Not Available Or Allowed For Intentional Torts Or Damages, Christopher French

Faculty Scholarship

Over the years, a myth has developed that insurance coverage is not available or allowed for intentional injuries or damage. This myth has two primary bases: one, the “fortuity” doctrine, which provides that insurance should only cover losses that happen by chance; and two, public policy, which allegedly disfavors allowing insurance for intentional injuries or damage. This article dispels that myth. Many types of liability insurance policies expressly cover intentional torts including trademark infringement, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, defamation, disparagement, and improper employment practices such as discrimination. In addition, punitive damages, which typically are awarded for intentional misconduct, are …


The “Non-Cumulation Clause”: An “Other Insurance” Clause By Another Name, Chris French Jan 2011

The “Non-Cumulation Clause”: An “Other Insurance” Clause By Another Name, Chris French

Faculty Scholarship

How long-tail liability claims such as asbestos bodily injury claims and environmental property damage claims are allocated among multiple triggered policy years can result in the shifting of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars from one party to another. In recent years, insurers have argued that clauses commonly titled, “Prior Insurance and Non-Cumulation of Liability” (referred to herein as “Non-Cumulation Clauses”), which are found in commercial liability policies, should be applied to reduce or eliminate their coverage responsibilities for long-tail liability claims by shifting their coverage responsibilities to insurers that issued policies in earlier policy years. The insurers’ argument …


The Definition Of "Accident" In Canadian Coverage Cases And The Unspoken "Useful Purpose" Test, Eric J. Adams Oct 2009

The Definition Of "Accident" In Canadian Coverage Cases And The Unspoken "Useful Purpose" Test, Eric J. Adams

Dalhousie Law Journal

Thispaper argues that courts tacitly weigh risks againstrewards when constructing the meaning of the term "accident." It suggests the phrase "courting the risk" takes on two distinct meanings. Firstly, at some point, the risks associated with an activity are said to be so substantial as to suggest an insured expected and, thus, courted any resulting losses.. Secondly, a party is deemed to court the risk of. loss if acting solely for the experience of risk, in and of itself,and not for any other redeeming benefit. The author outlines the evolution of the term "accident" in the case law and contrasts …


The Legacy Of The 9/11 Fund And The Minnesota I-35w Bridge-Collapse Fund: Creating A Template For Compensating Victims Of Future Mass-Tort Catastrophes, Michael K. Steenson Jan 2009

The Legacy Of The 9/11 Fund And The Minnesota I-35w Bridge-Collapse Fund: Creating A Template For Compensating Victims Of Future Mass-Tort Catastrophes, Michael K. Steenson

Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this article is to analyze and compare the 9/11 Fund and the Minnesota bridge-collapse compensation scheme for purposes of illustrating the necessary components of any future compensation schemes legislatures consider adopting in cases involving other catastrophes. This article first sets out the primary issues that must be addressed when considering a compensation scheme. It then examines the choices made in the 9/11 Fund and Minnesota’s bridge-collapse compensation scheme. A brief comparison of the two compensation schemes follows to provide the framework for considering the components of future compensation schemes.


Defense Costs And Insurer Reserves In Medical Malpractice And Other Personal Injury Cases: Evidence From Texas, 1988-2004, Bernard Black, David A. Hyman, Charles Silver, William M. Sage Oct 2008

Defense Costs And Insurer Reserves In Medical Malpractice And Other Personal Injury Cases: Evidence From Texas, 1988-2004, Bernard Black, David A. Hyman, Charles Silver, William M. Sage

Faculty Scholarship

We study defense costs for commercially insured personal injury tort claims in Texas over 1988–2004, and insurer reserves for those costs. We rely on detailed case-level data on defense legal fees and expenses, and Texas state bar data on lawyers’ hourly rates. We study medical malpractice (“med mal”) cases in detail, and other types of cases in less detail. Controlling for payouts, real defense costs in med mal cases rise by 4.6 percent per year, roughly doubling over this period. The rate of increase is similar for legal fees and for other expenses. Real hourly rates for personal injury defense …


Improving The Construction And Litigation Resolution Process: The 2005 Amendments To The Washington Condominium Act Are A Win-Win For Homeowners And Developers, Mark F. O'Donnell, David E. Chawes Jan 2006

Improving The Construction And Litigation Resolution Process: The 2005 Amendments To The Washington Condominium Act Are A Win-Win For Homeowners And Developers, Mark F. O'Donnell, David E. Chawes

Seattle University Law Review

On August 1, 2005, significant amendments to the Washington Condominium Act (WCA) became effective. These amendments were intended to substantially reduce water infiltration in multiunit residential buildings and to simplify the condominium construction dispute resolution process. The heart of the amendments is the implementation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures, as well as fee-shiftingprovisions which require the non-prevailing party to pay the attorney fees and costs of the prevailing party. A decade of lawsuits brought under the WCA by condominium owners associations against builders and developers, and in turn by builders against subcontractors, alleging defects in the ability of the …


The Limitations Of Legislatively Imposed Damages Caps: Proposing A Better Way To Control The Costs Of Medical Malpractice, Nancy L. Zisk Jan 2006

The Limitations Of Legislatively Imposed Damages Caps: Proposing A Better Way To Control The Costs Of Medical Malpractice, Nancy L. Zisk

Seattle University Law Review

This Article considers whether state damages caps are constitutional and examines recent studies suggesting that damages caps are not achieving their intended goals. Given the mounting evidence against the effectiveness of damages caps and the questions about their constitutional validity, this Article proposes moving away from legislative caps on damages. Instead, this Article argues for a modified market model based on a combination of improved care, which would include improvements in service; better peer review; and, if necessary, legislation which would be designed to protect the confidentiality of peer review, reduce frivolous lawsuits, and regulate insurance rate increases. Part II …


Use Of Colossus To Measure The General Damages Of A Personal Injury Claim Demonstrates Good Faith Claims Handling, Dawn R. Bonnett Jan 2005

Use Of Colossus To Measure The General Damages Of A Personal Injury Claim Demonstrates Good Faith Claims Handling, Dawn R. Bonnett

Cleveland State Law Review

Because the law of bad faith is the most volatile of the causes of action, this Note will discuss how using Colossus demonstrates good faith claims handling by insurance companies. Initially, this Note will discuss how Colossus works so readers have an understanding of the product. Following the Colossus section, the Note will discuss the history of bad faith. Finally, this Note will analyze how Colossus assists insurers in meeting the different good faith standards across the nation.


Bear Child V. Siyeh Development, Inc., 2004 Ca 15 (Blkft. Tr. Ct., Dec. 3, 2004), Blackfeet Tribal Court Dec 2004

Bear Child V. Siyeh Development, Inc., 2004 Ca 15 (Blkft. Tr. Ct., Dec. 3, 2004), Blackfeet Tribal Court

Court Decisions

Bear Child, a member of the Blackfeet Tribe, was injured in a fall at one of the Tribe’s casino/bingo halls. Bear Child filed a personal injury suit against the Tribe, the Siyeh corporation which runs the casino/bingo hall, and First Americans Insurance, Siyeh’s insurer. The defendants moved to dismiss the case on the grounds of sovereign immunity. Siyeh argued that it is a department of the Tribe, entitling it to sovereign immunity. The Trial Court was unpersuaded by the defendants’ arguments for sovereign immunity. The Court held that the Tribe was acting in its corporate, not governmental capacity in relation …


Are Private Automobile Insurance Companies Replacing Workers’ Compensation Coverage When The Employee/Insured Is Injured In The Course And Scope Of Employment By A Third-Party Tortfeasor?: Rubin V. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Micah Echols Mar 2004

Are Private Automobile Insurance Companies Replacing Workers’ Compensation Coverage When The Employee/Insured Is Injured In The Course And Scope Of Employment By A Third-Party Tortfeasor?: Rubin V. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, Micah Echols

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] “Multiple sources for recovery are available for an employee who is physically injured by a third-party tortfeasor in the course and scope of employment. This is especially true when the physical injury triggers coverage under a health insurance policy or other type of insurance policy for medical benefits. First, assuming that the employer participates in workers’ compensation insurance, the employee is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits for medical expenses. Second, the employee can also recover payments for medical benefits from the third-party tortfeasor in a common-law negligence lawsuit. Third, the employee, who in this context would be considered …


State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. V. Campbell: Refining Bmw Of North America, Inc. V. Gore And Further Restricting Punitive Damages, Bridget E. Leonard Jan 2004

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. V. Campbell: Refining Bmw Of North America, Inc. V. Gore And Further Restricting Punitive Damages, Bridget E. Leonard

University of Richmond Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Insurance Aftermath Of September 11: Myriad Claims, Multiple Lines, Arguments Over Ocurrence Counting, War Risk Exclusions, The Future Of Terrorism Coverage, And New Issues Of Government Role, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 2002

The Insurance Aftermath Of September 11: Myriad Claims, Multiple Lines, Arguments Over Ocurrence Counting, War Risk Exclusions, The Future Of Terrorism Coverage, And New Issues Of Government Role, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

September 11, 2001, is an unforgettable date for many reasons. In addition to its political, social, and historical importance, it may mark a watershed of insurance history as well. The value of the insurance losses due to the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers is estimated to total at least $35 billion and perhaps $75 billion. In addition, most of the people killed by terrorism were covered by life insurance. Many business operations were affected, invoking possible business interruption coverage. The airplanes that became weapons of destruction carried passengers whose estates are likely to press claims against the …


A Control-Based Approach To Shareholder Liability For Corporate Torts, Nina A. Mendelson Jan 2002

A Control-Based Approach To Shareholder Liability For Corporate Torts, Nina A. Mendelson

Articles

Some commentators defend limited shareholder liability for torts and statutory violations as efficient, even though it encourages corporations to overinvest in and to externalize the costs of risky activity. Others propose pro rata unlimited shareholder liability for corporate torts. Both approaches, however, fail to account fully for qualitative differences among shareholders. Controlling shareholders, in particular, may have lower information costs, greater influence over managerial decisionmaking, and greater ability to benefit from corporate activity. This Article develops a control-based approach to shareholder liability. It first explores several differences among shareholders. For example, a controlling shareholder can more easily curb managerial risk …


Teaching Torts Without Insurance: A Second-Best Solution, David A. Fischer, Robert H. Jerry Ii Jul 2001

Teaching Torts Without Insurance: A Second-Best Solution, David A. Fischer, Robert H. Jerry Ii

Faculty Publications

Teachers, scholars and practitioners have long appreciated the symbiotic relationship of torts and insurance. Indeed, the assertion that tort law and insurance law are intertwined is utterly unremarkable; many commentators have observed that tort law cannot be understood if the business of insurance and the law regulating it is ignored, and that insurance law cannot be understood if tort law is ignored. Several generations of law students have read casebooks, which in varying degrees pay homage to the connections between torts and insurance. Many law review articles and noteworthy books (or portions thereof) have plumbed the tort-insurance relationship. Although one …


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 2001

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 2000 and 2001.


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 2001

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 2000 and 2001.


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 2000

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 1999 and 2000.


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 2000

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in the years 1999 and 2000.


Mahler V. Szucs: An Impediment To Interinsurer Arbitration And Affordable Personal Injury Protection Coverage, John R. Nicholson Jan 1999

Mahler V. Szucs: An Impediment To Interinsurer Arbitration And Affordable Personal Injury Protection Coverage, John R. Nicholson

Seattle University Law Review

This Note will demonstrate that the Mahler court's decision will lead to inefficient results, because it has essentially compelled PIP insurers to accept representation by attorneys who have a conflict of interests, precluding such insurers from selecting the best means of recovering their PIP interests. As a result, the price of insurance premiums inevitably will escalate, while providing plaintiffs' attorneys with a windfall of increased fees for performing no additional work for their clients. The following discussion will show not only that the Mahler court holding is inefficient as a matter of public policy, but also that its analysis ignores …


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 1999

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance law in the year 1998-1999.


Replacing Strict Liability With A Contract-Based Products Liability Regime, Richard C. Ausness Jul 1998

Replacing Strict Liability With A Contract-Based Products Liability Regime, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

When strict products liability first appeared on the scene some thirty-five years ago, it was heralded as a boon to consumers whose claims to compensation had hitherto been frustrated by the law of sales. Warranty law, it was said, worked fairly well in purely "commercial" transactions, but tort law did a better job in cases where ordinary consumers suffered personal injuries or property damage from defective products. To be sure, defenders of warranty law pointed out that the newly-drafted Uniform Commercial Code (the "Code" or "U.C.C.") was much more consumer friendly than the old Uniform Sales Act. Nevertheless, the proponents …


Reason And Pollution: Construing The "Absolute" Pollution Exclusion In Context And In Light Of Its Purpose And Party Expectations, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 1998

Reason And Pollution: Construing The "Absolute" Pollution Exclusion In Context And In Light Of Its Purpose And Party Expectations, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Responding to the flurry of environmental coverage litigation over the application of the “sudden and accidental” pollution exclusion, the insurance industry during the mid-1980s largely adopted new standard pollution exclusion language for commercial general liability (CGL) policies. Since the mid-1980s, the standard form CGL has included the so-called absolute pollution exclusion, which provides that the insurance does not apply to bodily injury or property damage “arising out of the actual, alleged or threatened discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release, or escape of pollutants.” A “pollutant” is defined as “any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot, …


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 1998

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance Law in years 1998 and 1999.


Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel Jan 1998

Recent Case Developments, Jeffrey W. Stempel

Scholarly Works

Recent case developments in Insurance law in the year 1998.


An Insurance-Based Compensation System For Product-Related Injuries, Richard C. Ausness Jan 1997

An Insurance-Based Compensation System For Product-Related Injuries, Richard C. Ausness

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

In recent years, an increasing number of commentators have begun to express doubts about the effectiveness of the tort system. According to these critics, tort law does not deter accidents, nor does it spread accident costs efficiently. Worst of all, the tort system is extremely expensive to operate. Some of this criticism has spilled over into the products liability area. Products liability law has been condemned as expensive, ineffective, and regressive; in addition, it has been blamed for higher product prices, foreign competition, problems within the liability insurance industry, corporate bankruptcies, lack of product development, and the removal of useful …


Employer Liability Under The Third Party Provision Of The Washington Industrial Insurance Act: The Dual Capacity And Dual Persona Doctrines In Evans V. Thompson, Melissa M. Jackson Jan 1995

Employer Liability Under The Third Party Provision Of The Washington Industrial Insurance Act: The Dual Capacity And Dual Persona Doctrines In Evans V. Thompson, Melissa M. Jackson

Seattle University Law Review

Most workers' compensation schemes are designed to provide a swift and sure source of benefits to injured workers by placing on employers the risks and burdens of modern industry. In keeping with this policy, Washington's Industrial Insurance Act2 (IIA) requires injured workers to relinquish the right to sue at common law for damages sustained on the job, and it requires employers to accept liability for a measure of damages set out by the statute. However, if a worker's injuries are caused by the negligence of a third person who is not in the worker's same employ, the IIA's third-party provision …


Review Of: Making Decisions About Liability And Insurance (Colin Camerer & Howard Kunreuther Eds.), Joseph M. Carreiro Jr. Sep 1994

Review Of: Making Decisions About Liability And Insurance (Colin Camerer & Howard Kunreuther Eds.), Joseph M. Carreiro Jr.

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of: Making Decisions about Liability and Insurance (Colin Camerer & Howard Kunreuther eds., Kluwer Academic Publishers 1993). Figures, index, notes, tables. ISBN 0-7923-9393-7 [139 pp. Cloth $89.95. 101 Phillip Drive, Assinippi Park, Norwell MA 02061.1


Reflections On The Historical Context Of Section 402a, Oscar S. Gray Jan 1993

Reflections On The Historical Context Of Section 402a, Oscar S. Gray

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.


Revising Section 402a: The Limits Of Tort As Social Insurance, James A. Henderson Jr. Jan 1993

Revising Section 402a: The Limits Of Tort As Social Insurance, James A. Henderson Jr.

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.


Getting To No: A Study Of Settlement Negotiations And The Selection Of Cases For Trial, Samuel R. Gross, Kent D. Syverud Jan 1991

Getting To No: A Study Of Settlement Negotiations And The Selection Of Cases For Trial, Samuel R. Gross, Kent D. Syverud

Articles

A trial is a failure. Although we celebrate it as the centerpiece of our system of justice, we know that trial is not only an uncommon method of resolving disputes, but a disfavored one. With some notable exceptions, lawyers, judges, and commentators agree that pretrial settlement is almost always cheaper, faster, and better than trial. Much of our civil procedure is justified by the desire to promote settlement and avoid trial. More important, the nature of our civil process drives parties to settle so as to avoid the costs, delays, and uncertainties of trial, and, in many cases, to agree …