Yesterday I commented on Judge Sharp’s denial of the insurer’s motion for summary judgment on the policyholder’s bad faith claim in New Hampshire Ins. Co. v. Blackjack Cove, LLC, but there was another gold nugget in his opinion as well. The basic facts of the case were that Blackjack Cove (a marina on Old Hickory
Coverage Issues
Amendment to Sinkhole Statute Clarifies Coverage Litigation
As many are aware, the Tennessee Legislature recently amended T.C.A. § 56-7-130, the statute requiring insurance carriers offering homeowner’s insurance in the state to “make available” sinkhole coverage to their insureds. The original statute was enacted in 2006, and its verbiage has created a few issues now going through the court systems. I wanted to comment further…
Is Cosmetic Roof Damage a “Direct, Physical Loss?”
I recently represented the owner of a commercial property in a hail damage claim in which the metal roof was clearly dented by hail. Remarkably, the insurance company denied the claim on the basis that the roof was still functional. In the process of working with the opposing lawyer to obtain payment, I ran across…
Commas and Sentence Structure are Important After All
The Tennessee Court of Appeals’ recent decision in Artist Building Partners v. Auto Owners Mut. Ins. Co. serves as an important reminder in coverage disputes that any ambiguities will be strictly construed against the insurance company and in favor of coverage. Tennessee courts have made clear over and over again that any language in an…
Was Middle School Grammar Study a Waste of Time? Court of Appeals Finds 12 Month Business Income Limitation for Period of Restoration to be Ambiguous – Despite Expert Proof as to Sentence Diagramming
Long title, I know, but hopefully it sparked your interest, or perhaps dredged up painful memories of drawing those sentence diagram structures on wide ruled paper, wondering if you would ever use that skill in “real life.” Well, see how you think it worked in the case of Artist Building Partners v. Auto-Owners Mutual Insurance …
The Law of California Applies to an Insurance Policy Insuring Tennessee Property?
Practitioners should be aware that Tennessee courts generally apply the law of the state where an insurance policy was issued and delivered if there is no enforceable choice of law clause in the policy. Gov’t. Employees Ins. Co. v. Bloodworth, 2007 Tenn. App. LEXIS 404 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2007). So, for example, if a policy…
Does Arson Constitute Vandalism?
I represented a Memphis homeowner a couple of years ago whose residential rental property was destroyed by fire. The policy provided coverage for fire loss, but contained an exclusion for "vandalism and malicious mischief . . . if the dwelling has been vacant for more than 30 days immediately before the loss." In our case, it was undisputed that the…
Can An Insurance Company “End Around” the Innocent Spouse Doctrine . . . Maybe Not
Yesterday, I wrote a bit about the recent Tuturea v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company case that was decided last week by the Western Section of the Court of Appeals. Remember, this is the case where the plaintiff’s allegedly insane husband set fire to the house in an unsuccessful effort to commit suicide. I saved…
The “I’m Too Crazy To Intentionally Burn My House” Defense – Is it Viable in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Court of Appeals released Tuturea v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company on June 29, 2010. Its certainly an interesting opinion, although a bit long for fun reading (29 pages). The basic facts are this. Mr. Tuturea suffered from terminal cancer, and set fire to his house in an unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide.
Recent Developments – Adams v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company
Earlier this week, the Tennessee Court of Appeals issued a 24 page opinion addressing a variety of issues affecting insureds in the State of Tennessee. The case is Adams v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, a copy of which is available here. My partner, Clint Scott, and I represented the insured in this case, which…