Tag Archives: Allocation

Liability Insurance: The Risks of Denying a Duty to Defend


By Greg Johnson. Deciding whether to defend the insured in a third-party lawsuit (which generally involves a comparison between the allegations of the complaint and the policy), can be simple, complex or somewhere in between.  Regardless, insurers should always factor in the potential risks … Continue reading

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CGL Coverage: Latent Defects and Continuous, Progressive or Recurring Damages (Allocation of Liability)


By Greg Johnson. Which CGL policy (or policies) will apply in a property damage claim involving continuing, progressive or recurring damages?  Whether the underlying claim is one of environmental liability, asbestos, construction defect or products liability, claims involving damages which extend … Continue reading

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(Introduction) Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims


Having studied, worked with and litigated coverage issues under the commercial general liability (CGL) policy for twenty years, large construction defect claims, particularly those involving commercial and multi-unit residential buildings, pose some of the most complex claims encountered by those … Continue reading

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(Part III) Minnesota CGL: Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims


This post is a continuation of the series “Minnesota CGL: Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims.” This post (Part III) addresses the “strict construction” test used to interpret indemnification agreements.  Part IV will address the specific requirements of “insured … Continue reading

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(Part II) Minnesota CGL: Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims


This post is a continuation of the series “Minnesota CGL: Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims.” This post, as well as the next three, will focus on the subcontractor’s liability to a general contractor pursuant to an indemnity … Continue reading

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Minnesota Adopts “Equitable Contribution” to Apportion Defense Fees


Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court overruled, finally, the archaic “Iowa National” rule.  Iowa National prohibited a defending liability insurer from seeking contribution or reimbursement of attorney’s fees and costs from other liability insurers who refused to defend.   In Iowa National Mutual Insurance Co. v. Universal … Continue reading

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Pro-Rata Time on the Risk: An Insured’s Contribution Obligation


Wooddale Builders, Inc. v. Maryland Cas. Co., 722 N.W.2d 283 (Minn. 2006) is the leading construction defect case in Minnesota.  The case involved several insurers (I represented West Bend) and over eighty separate water intrusion claims.  In that case, the court recognized, … Continue reading

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