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What does it mean to call a fire “hostile”? This question has become increasingly important for insurance policyholders, such as those seeking coverage for fires and explosions following crude-by-rail or chemical-by-rail accidents.

When an explosion or fire event results in death, personal injuries or property damage, insurance companies may rely on a pollution exclusion. These

On August 13, 2009, the City of Sterling Heights, Michigan received a check from United National Insurance Company for over $15.4 million, satisfying a judgment awarded by the federal district court for the Eastern District of Michigan and upheld on appeal by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  Apart from this payment, United National and Sterling Heights will continue to litigate the amount of additional damages that the Sixth Circuit determined to be due to the City.
Continue Reading Insurance Company Pays Up, Resolving Unallocated Settlement and Defense Costs