Property Insurance Coverage Law

JANUARY 31, 2025

Insurers conduct and behavior vary wildly, even for people who hold similar policies with the same companies. For policyholders who have suffered total losses of their homes, many are being offered differing amounts of their Dwelling benefits. appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Policyholder Property Insurance Policy Insured 214

Property Insurance Coverage Law

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

With six sailboats and a motorboat, I consider myself an enthusiast, though my insurance agent probably sees me as a … The post Boatowners Beware! Buy a Marine Policy Rather Than Relying Upon a Homeowners Policy For Coverage appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Policy Marine Insurance Agents Insurance Agent 195

Property Insurance Coverage Law

JANUARY 30, 2025

A recent federal court decision favoring Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in a pipe burst claim1 left me thinking about two lessons. First, this case strongly reminds policyholders to be aware of time limits in their insurance policies and take action as soon as they believe their claim is not being handled fairly.

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Claim Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Policy 205

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 13, 2025

1 At … The post Clear Language Wins the Day: Court Rules Ambiguity Favors Policyholders appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog. 1 At … The post Clear Language Wins the Day: Court Rules Ambiguity Favors Policyholders appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Policyholder Commercial Insurance Commercial Property Insurance 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

APRIL 18, 2025

Safeco Insurance Company of America 1 serves as a timely reminder for claims professionals to revisit how to interpret actual cash value (ACV), replacement cost value (RCV), and general contractor overhead and profit (GCOP) under property insurance policies which define the terms.

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Policyholder Claim Property Insurance Insurance Policy 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 11, 2025

All insurance policies include a section placing specific responsibilities and obligations on policyholders to act in a certain way before entitling them to policy benefits for what should be a covered loss.

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Policyholder Claim Property Insurance Insurance Policy 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

In my basic course about property insurance coverage to public adjusters, and as a standard issue regarding case intake at Merlin Law Group, I first emphasize to always make certain the named insureds and clients have a right to bring the claims. appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Property Insurance Insurance Policy Policy Insurance 203

Property Insurance Coverage Law

JANUARY 30, 2025

A recent federal court decision favoring Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in a pipe burst claim1 left me thinking about two lessons. First, this case strongly reminds policyholders to be aware of time limits in their insurance policies and take action as soon as they believe their claim is not being handled fairly.

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Claim Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Policy 180

Property Insurance Coverage Law

AUGUST 28, 2024

An “other insurance” clause is a provision found in property insurance policies that establishes how a loss is to be apportioned among insurers when more than one policy covers the same loss. The original purpose of an “other insurance” clause is debatable.

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Property Insurance Insurance Policy Policy Policyholder 177

Property Insurance Coverage Law

AUGUST 18, 2024

Many policyholders forget that their insurance policy is a contract and is subject, with exceptions, to the usual laws of contract. An issue that frequently arises is whether the named insured is able to assign insurance proceeds under the policy to another.

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Insurance Policy Policy Policyholder Insurance 243

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 26, 2025

Property insurance adjustersboth company-employed and independentserve as the backbone of the claims process, ensuring that policyholders receive the full benefits of their coverage as swiftly and fairly as possible.

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Property Insurance Policyholder Damage Claim 140

Property Insurance Coverage Law

JANUARY 6, 2025

In yesterdays post, Policyholders and Public Adjusters Often Need to Hire Their Own Experts, the court found that the insurance policy did not provide coverage for the claimed damages for two primary reasons.1

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Policyholder Damage Property Insurance Insurance Policy 203

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 26, 2025

Property insurance adjustersboth company-employed and independentserve as the backbone of the claims process, ensuring that policyholders receive the full benefits of their coverage as swiftly and fairly as possible.

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Property Insurance Policyholder Damage Claim 140

Property Insurance Coverage Law

JANUARY 5, 2025

I often hear this question when discussing a loss with a potential client or public adjuster: Chip, isnt it an all-risk insurance policy? This question is often in response to a question I asked them: What caused the loss?

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Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Policy Policy 214

Property Insurance Coverage Law

APRIL 12, 2025

Most people dont think much about their insurance policies after they buy them. Insurance becomes almost invisibleuntil something happens. A bill shows up, they pay it, and life moves on.

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Insurance Policy Policy Insurance Insurer 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 4, 2025

AmGuard took the position that the new homeowner had no coverage because she was not living at the premises when she purchased the policy … The post When Does Property Insurance Coverage Start? appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog. Only After You Move Into the Home?

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Property Insurance Insurance Insurer Insured 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

The duties of an insurance agent to the policyholder will differ depending on state law. Yesterday’s post about a Michigan coverage case, Order and Bind Insurance Before the Loss—Commercial Policy Covers Water Damage Under Drain Backup Endorsement, noted that there was also an issue with insurance agent negligence.

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Policyholder Insurance Agents Insurance Agent Agents 203

Property Insurance Coverage Law

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Insurance policyholders do not read the insurance policies that are sold to them. The insurance contracts are not even provided to the policyholder until after the product is purchased.

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Insurance Agents Insurance Agent Policy Agents 190

Property Insurance Coverage Law

OCTOBER 30, 2024

Federal courts are creating an almost impossible barrier for policyholders trying to hold their insurance agents accountable for negligence involving National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies.

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Insurance Agents Insurance Agent Agents Policy 203

Insurance Journal

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

Citizens Property Insurance Corp., Florida’s largest insurer, has suspended policy binding ahead of predicted Hurricane Helene, and a board member asked if the carrier could do more to help policyholders manage flood insurance claims from the looming storm. “My question …

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Claim Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Claim 279

Property Insurance Coverage Law

OCTOBER 28, 2024

This is Florida law regarding when an insurance company must start investigating an insurance claim: 3)(a) Unless otherwise provided by the policy of insurance or by law, within 7 days after an insurer receives proof-of-loss statements, the insurer shall begin such investigation as is reasonably necessary unless the failure to begin such investigation (..)

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Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Claim Claim 189

Property Insurance Coverage Law

MARCH 29, 2025

When policyholders file an insurance claim, they expect their insurer to pay losses. Most policyholders have never read their policy nor would appreciate what it even means with nuanced coverage causation rules applying that vary from state to state.

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Policyholder Property Insurance Insurance Claim Claim 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

FEBRUARY 1, 2025

With six sailboats and a motorboat, I consider myself an enthusiast, though my insurance agent probably sees me as a … The post Boatowners Beware! Buy a Marine Policy Rather Than Relying Upon a Homeowners Policy For Coverage appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Policy Marine Insurance Agents Insurance Agent 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

A recent ruling by a federal trial court stated that the policyholder claimed that a severe hailstorm on May 28, 2021, caused extensive damage to his property, including damage to the roof, vents, flashings, windows, window screens, fascia, gutters, downspouts, and HVAC system. appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Claim Policy Policyholder Damage 187

Property Insurance Coverage Law

AUGUST 16, 2024

At least until recently, when a California appellate court thrust it front and center and applied it to a … The post Can policy limitations or exclusions be disregarded as illusory? appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Policy Property Insurance Insured Insurance 203

The Property Insurance Law Observer

MARCH 20, 2025

Hawley Insurance Co. 2025)), the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York determined that the plaintiff lacked an insurable interest in property it insured because it did not own or possess the property or suffer economic loss due to the propertys destruction.

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Property Damage Damage Insurance Insurer 130

Property Insurance Coverage Law

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

A recent Indiana Court of Appeals decision where Merlin Law Group’s Ed Eshoo was counsel for the policyholder provides a textbook example of how an insurance company’s conduct can waive strict policy requirements, even when attempting to preserve those rights through reservation letters.

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Claim Policyholder Insurance Companies Property Insurance 203

Insurance Journal

AUGUST 25, 2024

Simply mailing a cancellation notice to a policyholder, when viewed in the context of other indicators, was enough to comply with state law and void a homeowner’s insurance policy shortly just weeks before a fire destroyed a home, the North …

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Policyholder Insurance Policy Policy Insured 285

Property Insurance Coverage Law

NOVEMBER 23, 2024

A recent court decision highlights why policyholders need to understand both the benefits and limitations of Inflation Guard Endorsements in their property insurance policies. While these endorsements aim to protect against underinsurance, they may not provide the complete protection many assume they do.

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Property Insurance Policyholder Insurance Policy Protection 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

AUGUST 4, 2024

Insurance policies protect you from the cost of replacing lost, damaged, or stolen items: or at least, that’s how they’re supposed to work. But what happens if your insurance company refuses to pay what you are owed? appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Property Insurance Damage Insurance Policy Insurance Companies 245

Property Insurance Coverage Law

NOVEMBER 24, 2024

Insurance policies that provide broad coverage across multiple items or locations can be a policyholder’s best friend. The Louisiana case involved a hydrocarbon production facility damaged … The post When Is a Policy “Blanket”?

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Policy Policyholder Property Insurance Damage 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

FEBRUARY 16, 2025

California fire insurance policies must provide an insured a minimum of 12 months from the inception of the loss to bring any suit or action on the policy for recovery of any claim. Code 2071.

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Claim Property Insurance Insurance Policy Policy 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

AUGUST 21, 2024

Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, 1 is a case decided last week involving vacancy clauses often found in property insurance policies, the impact of forfeiture clauses, and how those clauses can be waived. Unlocking Possible Overlooked Arguments for Coverage appeared first on Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

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Casualty Insurance Property Insurance Insurance Policy Insurance Companies 202

Property Insurance Coverage Law

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

A recent viral social media post following the California wildfires has brought to light a critical issue: homeowners are finding their insurance claims denied because their properties are held in trusts, yet the trusts are not listed on their insurance policies.

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Insurance Claim Claim Insurance Policy Insurance 100

The Property Insurance Law Observer

MARCH 12, 2024

The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington decided an insurance coverage case involving Plaintiffs Benny and Guangying Cheung and Defendant Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Company. Plaintiffs argued that the damage was covered under the policy, primarily resulting from theft.

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Theft Insurance Policy Policy Personal Property 130

Property Insurance Coverage Law

APRIL 12, 2025

Most people dont think much about their insurance policies after they buy them. Insurance becomes almost invisibleuntil something happens. A bill shows up, they pay it, and life moves on.

Insurance Policy 100

Insurance Policy Policy Insurance Insurer 100

Property Insurance Coverage Law

OCTOBER 6, 2024

National flood insurance is unlike any other insurance. I have received numerous calls from furious Hurricane Helene policyholders after learning how little coverage is afforded for the non-elevated floor of a multi-story building under their flood insurance policies.

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Building Insurance Claim Claim Policyholder 130