Tag Archives: Gregory J. Johnson

CGL Coverage:”Your Work” Exclusion Comes Full Circle — Deletion of Subcontractor Exception


By Greg Johnson. It’s back to square one for some residential contractors. In Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co. v. Wollak Construction, Inc., Civ. File No. 10-350 (RHK/LIB) (D. Minn. 10/15/2010), the federal district court, applying Minnesota law, held that the “your … Continue reading

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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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Reducing Defense Costs: “High-Low Coverage Agreements”


I was dusting off some old seminar materials and ran across an article I had written back in 1995 regarding the use of high-low coverage agreements.  In light of the economy and insurer’s efforts to save costs, the article is perhaps even … 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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Subcontractor Liable for General Contractor’s Pre-Notice Defense Fees


Many states recognize that a liability insurer is not obligated to pay for the defense of a claim until it is notified of the suit. See, e.g., Home Ins. Co. v. National Union Fire Ins. of Pittsburgh, 658 N.W.2d 522, … Continue reading

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Employee Dishonest Acts Not Covered by Fidelity Bond


A federal district court in Wisconsin recently ruled that losses a mortgage lender incurred as a result of having to repurchase loans that were issued through the dishonest acts of an employee and went into default were not covered by … Continue reading

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(Part VI) 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 VI) is the first of several posts which address additional insured (AI) coverage for a general contractor under the … 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 V) 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 V) addresses the obligation of a subcontractor and its commercial general liability (CGL) insurer with regard to the defense … Continue reading

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


This post (Part IV) is a continuation of my multiple part series “Minnesota CGL: Getting a Handle on Large Construction Defect Claims.” (You may want to read the prior posts in this series to catch up).   This post addresses the specific requirements … Continue reading

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