HNRK Coverage Corner

On December 30, 2019, Judge Briccetti of the SDNY issued a decision in Ruiz v. Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co., 19 CV 4399 (VB), denying an insurer’s motion to dismiss an insured’s claim for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, but ruling (contrary to recent First Department case law) that the insured could not recover attorneys’ fees as consequential damages.

This case involves a claim under a homeowners insurance policy for damages sustained to a residence from burst water pipes.  The complaint contained a single cause of action for “breach of contract and implied ...

On December 5, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s v. BioEnergy Development Group, LLC, 2019 NY Slip Op 08779, reversing a trial court’s dismissal of a claim based on the insurer’s bad faith delay in providing business interruption coverage, explaining:

The breach of the implied duty part of the counterclaim is based on allegations that plaintiffs refused to advance more than $6,806,725 in business interruption coverage until an appraisal panel awarded more than double that amount, and refused to pay the full amount of the property ...

On January 17, 2019, the First Department issued a decision in D.K. Prop., Inc. v National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., 2019 NY Slip Op 00347, holding that an insured need not satisfy a “heightened pleading standard” in alleging consequential damages arising from an insurer’s bad faith claim handling.

 (N.B. HNRK represents the insured in this matter.)

This case involved a claim under a commercial insurance policy for damage to the plaintiff’s office building caused by construction work at an adjoining building. The plaintiff alleged that “rather than pay the ...

On December 11, 2018, Judge Garaufis of the EDNY issued a decision in Government Employees Ins. Co. v. Saco, 12-cv-5633 (NGG), holding that a plaintiff in a bad faith action against a third-party insurer was entitled to collect the amount of a judgment in excess of the policy limits, even if the insured was not actually liable for the full amount of that judgment.

Saco arose from a personal injury case following a car accident.  The defendant in the injury lawsuit (Kusulas) was insured by GEICO.  After GEICO failed to tender the full policy limits to settle the case, a trial ensued, after which ...

On August 22, 2018, the Second Department issued a decision in Tiffany Tower Condominium, LLC v. Insurance Co. of the Greater N.Y., 2018 NY Slip Op 05886, holding that insureds stated a cause of action against a property insurer for breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing based on the failure to pay a claim arising from damage suffered during Hurricane Sandy.

Unlike other states, New York does not recognize a separate cause of action against an insurance company for bad faith claims handling.  Section 2601 of the Insurance Law forbids certain specified “unfair claim ...