Insurance Law Alert December 2009
INSURANCE LAW ALERT DECEMBER 2009 elcome to the inaugural Simpson Thacher Insurance Law Alert. This Alert and the Weditions to follow aim to provide timely reports on insurance law and litigation developments of interest to our friends and clients. We hope you find them useful. —Barry R. Ostrager, Chair of the Litigation Department from Houdaille Industries, Inc. Thereafter, Warren and Allocation Alert: Viking faced numerous asbestos bodily injury claims Delaware Chancery Court Rules arising from asbestos exposures that took place during That New York Law Requires Houdaille’s ownership. Warren and Viking sought to access Houdaille’s insurance coverage, including “All Sums” Method Of Allocation forty-five excess insurance policies issued by twenty On October 14, 2009, different insurers. After determining that Warren Vice Chancellor Strine and Viking were entitled to insured status under of the Delaware Court Houdaille’s excess insurance policies, the court turned of Chancery issued to the allocation issue. a lengthy opinion on The excess insurers argued that controlling New allocation under New York precedent requires a pro rata allocation across York insurance law. In policy years, as set forth in the Consol. Edison v. Allstate a surprising departure Ins. Co., 774 N.E.2d 687 (N.Y. 2002) decision from from what is viewed New York’s highest court. The insureds argued for an to be well-established “all sums” approach. Vice Chancellor Strine ultimately New York law, the court decided that New York’s principles of contract held that coverage for interpretation, the language of the insurance policies asbestos-related injuries at issue, and extrinsic evidence all favor application spanning multiple policy years should be allocated on of the all sums allocation methodology.
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