Recent Blog Posts
New York’s Expanding PFAS Bans
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals have become the new hot-button environmental contamination issue. Also known as “forever chemicals” because they degrade very slowly, PFAS have been connected to a number of alleged health risks. PFAS have been used for decades to manufacture everything from clothing to non-stick cookware. We previously discussed the rise in… Read More »
Smoothie Company Faces Massive Class Action Alleging PFAS Contamination
One of the country’s largest providers of fruit smoothies has been hit with a putative class action in a New York federal court, alleging that the company’s products contain toxic PFAS chemicals. The proposed class action is just one of an ever-expanding list of cases concerning so-called “forever chemicals,” a trend that is likely… Read More »
Missouri Supreme Court Overturns STD Judgment Against GEICO
An incredibly unusual insurance claim gained media attention last year: A woman filed a multi-million-dollar insurance claim with GEICO after contracting a sexually transmitted disease in a GEICO-insured car. The astounding part was that she won at trial, and GEICO was told to pay. The Missouri Supreme Court recently reversed that decision and restored… Read More »
Dealing With Penalties and Fees for “Immediately Hazardous” Lead-Based Paint Violations in New York
New York City Local Law 1 requires owners of multiple dwelling properties (e.g., apartment buildings) to take preventative measures related to lead-based paint. This mandate applies to all multiple dwellings built before 1960, as well as those erected between 1960 and 1977 where the owner has actual knowledge of the presence of lead-based paint…. Read More »
Private and AG-Led PFAS Lawsuits on the Rise as States Pressure Senate to Pass PFAS Legislation
The latest wave of environmental contamination and toxic tort lawsuits targets so-called “forever chemicals”–poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals that persist in the environment and carry alleged health risks. These chemicals have been present in a wide range of consumer products since the 1940s, showing up in everything from textiles to Teflon, waterproof clothing, and… Read More »
New York AG Settles Lead Paint Claim With Syracuse Landlord
Lead paint lawsuits remain a significant area of liability for landlords across the State of New York. Lead paint claims can arise from individual plaintiffs, class actions, and even the state. New York Attorney General Letitia James recently announced a settlement with a landlord in upstate New York who allegedly exposed residents, including a… Read More »
Court Holds $101M Lead Paint Abatement Order Was “Damages” Per Insurance Policy
A recent insurance coverage dispute serves as an important reminder regarding the clarity of policy terms: If there’s any ambiguity, courts will bend over backwards to find grounds to force coverage. Appellate courts across multiple jurisdictions agreed with one another that in this instance, even though the underlying liability was explicitly premised on claiming… Read More »
State High Court Sets Low Causation Standard for Asbestos Exposure, Shifts Workplace Safety Burden to Manufacturers
When a product manufacturer distributes tools to a workplace, including all appropriate warnings and safety instructions, common sense would dictate that the manufacturer’s job is done. The employer now has the product, the knowledge, and the tools necessary to use the products safely and to appropriately instruct their employees. Employers, after all, are responsible… Read More »
New York Court Elaborates on “Expected or Intended” Damages, Commercial Coverage Issues
We previously discussed an Appellate Division case touching on when and how liability insurance coverage may be excluded because the damage caused was “expected or intended” by the policyholder as opposed to “accidental.” In that case, as we explained, the court ultimately focused on subjective vs. objective intent. Following that decision, a trial court… Read More »
New York Court Holds to Narrow Interpretation of “Expected or Intended Injury” in Liability Policy
New York courts have a practice of construing policy language in a manner most favorable to policyholders where possible. A recent example illustrates the absurd results such an approach can yield. A New York appeals court recently parsed the difference between “expected or intended” injury and injury that occurs after a policyholder has been… Read More »
