Monthly Archives: July 2019

Insured Made Whole After Subrogation Recovery

A property insurer, having paid for covered damage, can recover the loss by seeking reimbursement from its insured where the insured has recovered funds from a responsible third-party, or the insurer may pursue a claim directly against the third-party.  If the insurer makes a direct claim against the responsible party, to what extent must the insurer allocate the money it recovers to reimburse the insured for its deductible?  In an opinion issued on July 3, 2019, the Washington Supreme Court held that a fault-free insured must receive the full amount of its deductible before the insurer may allocate any of the recovered funds to itself.  Daniels v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., Wash., No. 96185-9, 2019 WL 2909308 (July

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Posted in Deductible

Pennsylvania Supremes to Decide Whether Actual Cash Value Includes General Contractor Overhead and Profit

Insurance companies may no longer be allowed to rely on clear policy language that expressly excludes general contractor overhead and profit (“GCOP”) from actual cash value payments.  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently agreed to hear argument on the issue in Kurach v. Truck Insurance Exchange, Case No. 532 EAL 2018. The facts in Kurach are undisputed.  The insureds, who admittedly chose not to repair the damage to their homes, filed a class action lawsuit against Truck for its alleged breach of contract by not including GCOP in its actual cash value payments.  The policies at issue expressly provided that “actual cash value settlements will not include estimated general contractor fees or charges for general contractor’s services unless and until you

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Posted in Actual Cash Value
About The Property Insurance Law Observer
For more than four decades, Cozen O’Connor has represented all types of property insurers in jurisdictions throughout the United States, and it is dedicated to keeping its clients abreast of developments that impact the insurance industry. The Property Insurance Law Observer will survey court decisions, enacted or proposed legislation, and regulatory activities from all 50 states. We will also include commentary on current issues and developing trends of interest to first-party insurers.
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