Lisseth Ochoa-Chavarria and Chris Popecki | Policyholder Pulse Over the last decade, governmental plaintiffs have secured tens of billions of dollars in settlements from certain manufacturers, wholesale distributors and pharmacy operators that allegedly contributed to a nationwide epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD), a/k/a addiction. Bellwether litigation has centered on expansive “public nuisance” claims—reminiscent of… Continue reading The Last Word on CGL Coverage for Expanding “Public Nuisance” Torts Is Still to Come
Category: General Liability Policy
Course of Construction Exclusions and the CGL Policy
Anna M. Perry, Rachel S. Kindseth and Nina Catazaro | Saxe Doernberger & Vita I. Course of Construction Exclusions Course of Construction (“COC”) exclusions are found on General Liability and excess liability policies, typically a wrap-up or project specific policy, and generally exclude “all property damage occurring during the course of construction.” Insurers claim COC… Continue reading Course of Construction Exclusions and the CGL Policy
Illinois’ Highest Court Finds that Government-Authorized Pollution is Still Pollution for Purposes of Pollution Exclusions in CGL Policies
Nick Dolejsi | Zelle The Illinois Supreme Court recently provided much-needed clarity on the scope and application of pollution exclusions in commercial general liability insurance policies. In Griffith Foods v. National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA, Case No. 131710 (Ill. Jan. 23, 2026), the court considered the following certified question: “what relevance, if any,… Continue reading Illinois’ Highest Court Finds that Government-Authorized Pollution is Still Pollution for Purposes of Pollution Exclusions in CGL Policies
Eighth Circuit Rules That CGL Policy Does Not Cover Abuse of Process Claim Under Minnesota Law
PropertyCasualtyFocus On March 17, 2026, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held in General Star Indemnity Co. v. Toy Quest Ltd. that the commercial general liability insurer had no duty to defend an “abuse of process” claim related to the insured’s intervention in a separate garnishment action by a third party. The underlying claim involved a third-party… Continue reading Eighth Circuit Rules That CGL Policy Does Not Cover Abuse of Process Claim Under Minnesota Law
Illinois Federal Court Holds CGL Policy Does Not Cover Remediation Costs for Illegal Dumping
Thomas Benjamin Boley and Kenneth Ryan | Wiley Rein The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, applying Illinois law, held that a commercial general liability policy did not provide coverage for a suit seeking compensation for costs associated with remediation of the insured’s unlawful dumping. Great West Cas. Co. v. Ryan VanFleet, 2026… Continue reading Illinois Federal Court Holds CGL Policy Does Not Cover Remediation Costs for Illegal Dumping