Articles by Andrew G. Simpson

Lawsuit Accuses Chubb of ‘Lowballing’ and Risking Further Liability

Insurer Chubb has been accused of “lowballing” offers in the settlement of an employee class action that the owner of a popular New England grocery chain was motivated to close out due to fears that further discovery might reveal damaging …

Federal Judge Clears Class-Action Suit Alleging Geico Underpaid Auto Claims

Geico General Insurance Co. must face a class action suit alleging that it has been underpaying benefits to its insureds injured in automobile accidents. U.S. District Court Judge Dora L. Irizarry in federal court in Eastern New York has certified …

Mass. Supreme: No ‘Imbalance of Power’ Means Beating Wasn’t Abuse

An act of physical abuse is not excluded by an abuse and molestation exclusion in a homeowners insurance policy unless the act involves “an imbalance or misuse of power in addition to being physically harmful,” the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court …

Court Affirms Insurer, Agent Have Duty of Care But Not Fiduciary Duty in GEICO Case

A licensed insurance agent, and the insurer she represents, owe a duty of care to a customer to explain coverages but neither the agent nor the insurer has a fiduciary duty to an insured under Connecticut law. U.S. District Judge …

Show Must Go On for Broadway Theaters’ Covid Loss Claim, Federal Judge Rules

A New York federal judge has refused to lower the curtain on a COVID-19 business loss claim by the owner of five Broadway theaters because the entertainment insurance policy language is ambiguous as to whether the theater suffered one loss …

Federal Judge in Louisiana Suspends Texas Law Firm Over Hurricane Claims

A federal judge has suspended a Texas law firm from practice in the western district of Louisiana over ethical questions raised about its handling of hundreds of hurricane insurance claims. In an order dated March 4, District Judge James Cain …

When an Injury Suffered ‘Preparing for Work’ Falls Under Workers’ Compensation

An employee who was injured while scraping ice off his company-owned truck parked at his home is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission has ruled, reversing a deputy commissioner’s denial of benefits. “We find that the …

New York City Agrees to $6M Settlement Over Police Response to George Floyd Protests

About 320 people arrested during a George Floyd protest in the Bronx on June 4, 2020, and who claim the police used excessive force and violated their civil rights, will each receive about $21,500 under a settlement proposal agreed to …

Insurer Faces Class Action for Depreciating Labor in Actual Cash Value Payments

Two Trumbull Insurance customers who believe they were short-changed on claims payments have filed a proposed class action suit against the insurer, alleging Trumbull has been incorrectly calculating some property claim payments by deducting labor depreciation. The complaint (Grawe v …

Federal Court Denies Massachusetts Hospital’s Covid-19 Business Interruption Claim

A Massachusetts hospital has been denied its insurance claim for Covid-19 related costs and lost revenues under business interruption and disease contamination provisions of its property insurance policies. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton of the federal court in Boston …