Informed insureds know the importance of notifying their primary insurer of an occurrence or a claim. But notice to the primary layer often does not suffice. If the plaintiff’s demand exceeds the limits in the primary insurance policy, an insured should notify the umbrella or excess insurer (and possibly further up the tower than just
Trigger for Hurricane and Named Storm Deductibles
Recent damage from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have focused attention on special “named storm” and “hurricane” deductible endorsements found in most property insurance policies issued for coastal areas. Such endorsements typically convert the insured’s deductible from a fixed amount to a percentage of the property value, such as 1, 2, 5, or 10 percent,
The Perils of Late Notice
As every policyholder should know, purportedly “late” notice under claims-made insurance policies can eradicate coverage – even if the policyholder purchases successive policies from the same insurer. Alaska Interstate Construction, LLC (AIC) faced this very situation, and lost coverage in a recent unpublished Ninth Circuit decision (Alaska Interstate Construction, LLC. V. Crum & Forster