Michael Merullo, et al v. Amica Mutual Insurance Company

In Michael Merullo, et al v. Amica Mutual Insurance Company, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts held that the 2016 Massachusetts Standard Automobile Policy explicitly excluded coverage for third party claims on inherent diminished value...
Nuclear Verdicts and Social Inflation Are on the Rise

Nuclear Verdicts and Social Inflation Are on the Rise

by Laura Gregory BOSTON — Nuclear verdicts, often defined as jury verdicts of $10 million or more, are on the rise nationwide, are increasing in both amount and frequency and have numerous negative implications for the insurance industry. Laura Gregory, Esq., CPCU,...
Jury Trials in the Context of COVID-19

Jury Trials in the Context of COVID-19

By Laura Meyer Gregory, Esq., CPCU, and Shari E. Belitz, Esq. The arrival of COVID-19 has brought so many changes for all  of us and more changes are likely to come in so many ways. The insurance and legal industries have been significantly impacted and continue to be...
Coronavirus and Business Income Claims

Coronavirus and Business Income Claims

Authored by Sloane and Walsh, LLP attorneys Tony Antonellis, Brendan Labbe and Emma A. Coppola. With the coronavirus spreading throughout the nation, and public and governmental precautions mounting, many businesses in the hospitality and other industries are...
Matching: A Guide to the Principle & Case Law Update

Matching: A Guide to the Principle & Case Law Update

  Authored by: Brendan L. Labbe, Esq.,  Sloane and Walsh, LLP Blabbe@sloanewalsh.com857-321-7091 A string of recent court decisions across the nation have addressed the prominent issue of matching in first-party property insurance claims.  In addition to...
Commerce Ins. Co. v. Szafarowicz: the New Road-Map for Insurance Coverage Litigation’s Impact on the Related Tort Case and Circumstances in which an Insured’s Settlement with the Plaintiff Is “Reasonable” Only If It Is Within The Insured’s Policy Limits.

Commerce Ins. Co. v. Szafarowicz: the New Road-Map for Insurance Coverage Litigation’s Impact on the Related Tort Case and Circumstances in which an Insured’s Settlement with the Plaintiff Is “Reasonable” Only If It Is Within The Insured’s Policy Limits.

by Laura Meyer Gregory and John P. Ryan, Sloane and Walsh, LLP On October 1, 2019, the Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision in Commerce Insurance Company v. Justina M. Szafarowicz, et al. addressing the following issues in the context of a motor vehicle insurer...
The Broad Evidence Rule: A Trend in Loss Valuation

The Broad Evidence Rule: A Trend in Loss Valuation

  Introduction: What is the Broad Evidence Rule? Actual cash value (“ACV”) is most commonly determined by calculating the replacement cost value, less depreciation.  However, there are other methods of calculation that have been adopted by courts, such as fair...