Tag Archives: Coverage

The duty to defend requires an early judgment

By Benjamin Fliegel on Posted in Business interruption, Commercial General Liability, Construction Coverage, Corporate and Transactional Insurance Coverage, Cyberliability, Employment Practices Liability, Financial Insurance Coverage, Insurance Coverage, Insurance General
If an insurance company owes a duty to defend, the dispute should be decided promptly, on the pleadings. Any delay undermines the duty to defend. The scope of the duty to defend should be adjudicated on the pleadings as quickly as possible to give policyholders the true value of their policies and the benefit of … Continue Reading

Lightening the load: New York Appellate Division rejects heightened pleading standard for policyholders seeking Bi-Economy Market consequential damages

By Ann Kramer, Paul Breene, John Berringer, Rich Lewis and Anthony B. Crawford on Posted in Insurance Coverage, Insurance General, Insurance News of Note
In a recent unanimous decision, the Appellate Division First Department provided clarity on the pleading requirements for policyholders seeking special or consequential damages allowed under the landmark decision of Bi-Economy Market v. Harleysville Insurance Company of New York, 856 N.Y.S.2d 505 (N.Y., Feb. 19, 2008). Under Bi-Economy, policyholders may seek special or consequential damages resulting … Continue Reading

Court Upholds Coverage Under General Liability Policy for Claim Alleging Failure to Protect Data

By Brian Himmel, Mike Sampson, Caitlin Garber and Brian J. Willett on Posted in Commercial General Liability, Cyberliability, Insurance Coverage, Insurance General, Insurance News of Note
In an encouraging development for insureds, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit held that a health care company’s general liability insurer was required to defend the company against claims stemming from an alleged failure to secure electronic medical records. In The Travelers Indemnity Co. of America v. Portal Healthcare Solutions, L.L.C., … Continue Reading

New York Department of Financial Services Announces New Cyber Security Measures Directed at Strengthening Insurers’ Cyber Defenses

By Emily Garrison and Andy Moss on Posted in Cyberliability, Financial Insurance Coverage, Insurance Coverage
The New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced last week a series of measures it plans to take "to help strengthen cyber hacking defenses at insurers." Those measures include, among other things: regular, targeted assessments of cyber security preparedness at insurance companies; putting forward enhanced regulations requiring institutions to meet heightened standards for cyber security; and considering the ways in which NYDFS can support and encourage the development of the cyber security insurance market. The NYDFS stated that it plans to initiate these measures in the coming weeks and months.… Continue Reading

Hackers Don’t Care About Your Insurance

By Brian Himmel on Posted in Cyberliability, Insurance Coverage, Insurance General
A recent study reports that the median amount of time between a breach of a company's computer network and the discovery of the incident is 229 days. But some cyberliability policy forms require that both the breach event and discovery of loss (or resulting claim) occur during the policy period. So what happens when a breach is discovered three months into the policy period but, unbeknownst at the time, the intrusion actually occurred six months before, or even earlier? If your company's cyberliability insurance policy excludes breach events occurring before the inception of the policy period, the company could find itself without coverage for an otherwise-covered claim or loss.… Continue Reading

As Federal and State Agencies Warn of Increased Cyber Threats, Insurance Incentives for Compliance with NIST Cybersecurity Framework May Be on the Horizon

By Andy Moss and Emily Garrison on Posted in Cyberliability, Insurance Coverage, Insurance News of Note
Since the President's February 2013 Executive Order directing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to lead the development of a voluntary framework to address and reduce cyber risks, the agencies and stakeholders involved have been exploring whether to tie the February 2014 Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (the NIST Framework) to incentives such as cyberliability insurance. For example, in a Report to the President on Cybersecurity Incentives, the Treasury Department suggested that "[c]yber insurance can promote adoption of stronger security measures" because, among other reasons, "insurers could require policyholders to comply with minimum security standards as a condition of insurance coverage, including adoption of the Framework." The Treasury Department held a public meeting on November 6 that included a discussion of developments in the market for cyberliability insurance and the NIST Framework.… Continue Reading

Beware Of Gaps In Your Cyber Risk Policy – Are You Covered In the Event of an Insider Attack or Data Breach?

By Brian Himmel, Andy Moss and Robert Owen on Posted in Cyberliability, Insurance Coverage
The evolving market for cyberliability insurance coverage reveals significant differences in the scope of coverage afforded under available policies. A coverage gap that may exist under some policies is for insider cyber attacks. While external attacks receive substantial news coverage, a recent study finds that businesses may be far less equipped to stave off attacks involving insiders: employees, vendors, suppliers and others who may have authorized access to critical or sensitive data.… Continue Reading

Excess Insurance Implications of a Below Limits Settlement

By Courtney Horrigan and Caitlin Garber on Posted in Insurance Coverage
While policyholders frequently negotiate the terms and conditions of primary insurance, it is somewhat less common for policyholders to give the same attention to the language in their excess coverage. Excess policies which state that coverage attaches only after the underlying insurer pays out its full-limits of liability can frustrate policyholders attempting to resolve a coverage dispute with an underlying insurer. Policy wording is critical - as demonstrated in a recent Texas appellate court.… Continue Reading

All Businesses Should Review Insurance Coverage in Face of Ebola Crisis

By Mike Sampson, Courtney Horrigan and Caitlin Garber on Posted in Insurance Coverage
Every day, there is a new story about Ebola in the media. While some commentators suggest that the threat of Ebola in the United States is overblown - and we hope they are right - now is still the time for all businesses to review their insurance policies to understand what insurance coverage, if any, they may have available should an Ebola-related liability and/or loss occur.… Continue Reading
LexBlog