{"id":896170,"date":"2019-07-17T12:50:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=896170"},"modified":"2019-07-17T12:50:15","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:50:15","slug":"claims-for-negligence-duty-to-defend-triggered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/claims-for-negligence-duty-to-defend-triggered\/","title":{"rendered":"Claims for Negligence? Duty to Defend Triggered"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael S. Levine | Hunton Andrews Kurth<\/a> | June 19, 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 17, 2019, the First Circuit held that an insurer\u2019s duty to defend was triggered because the underlying complaint set forth claims that required a showing of intent as well as claims that sought recovery for conduct that \u201cfits comfortably within the definition of an \u2018accident.\u2019\u201d In Zurich American Ins. Co v. Electricity Maine, LLC<\/em>, Zurich sought declaratory judgment that, under a D&O policy, it had no duty to defend the insured, Electricity Maine, an electrical utility company being sued in the underlying class action. Zurich argued it had no duty to defend because the underlying complaint failed to allege that Electricity Maine engaged in conduct that qualified as an \u201coccurrence\u201d or that caused \u201cbodily injury\u201d under the terms of the policy. The First Circuit disagreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The D&O policy stated that Zurich \u201chas a duty to defend Electricity Maine against any lawsuit that seeks damages for \u2018bodily injury\u2019 caused by an \u2018occurrence.\u2019\u201d The policy defined an \u201coccurrence\u201d as \u201can accident . . .\u201d and under Maine law an accident is \u201ccommonly understood to mean . . . an event that takes place without one\u2019s forethought or expectation . . . .\u201d The Court held that, because the underlying complaint asserted claims for negligence and negligent misrepresentation, in addition to intentional torts, the conduct upon which recovery was sought fell within the definition of an \u201caccident\u201d and therefore qualified as an \u201coccurrence\u201d triggering the duty to defend. Second, the Court held that, although the underlying complaint did not allege that Electricity Maine\u2019s conduct caused \u201cbodily injury,\u201d the complaint did not need to do so to fall within the risk insured and trigger a duty to defend. Instead, because the alleged conduct could result in bodily injury due to emotional distress, the allegations fell within the risk insured and Zurich has a duty to defend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael S. Levine | Hunton Andrews Kurth | June 19, 2019 On June 17, 2019, the First Circuit held that an insurer\u2019s duty to defend was triggered because the underlying complaint set forth claims that required a showing of intent as well as claims that sought recovery for conduct that \u201cfits comfortably within the definition of an… Continue reading Claims for Negligence? Duty to Defend Triggered<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9914,8782],"tags":[309,9895,57,23,361],"class_list":["post-896170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-insurance-coverage","category-personal-injury","tag-occurrence","tag-advise-consult","tag-duty-to-defend-2","tag-insurance-coverage","tag-personal-injury","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nClaims for Negligence? 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