Massachusetts Appellate Court Confirms Construction Defects are Not Covered Under Commercial General Liability Policies

Bill Wilson | Construction Law Zone In a case of first impression in Massachusetts, Lessard v. R.C. Havens & Sons, Inc., 104 Mass. App. Ct. 572 (2024), the Appellate Court confirmed that construction defects, without more, do not constitute property damage within the meaning of a commercial general liability policy (CGL). In Lessard, the homeowners filed suit against… Continue reading Massachusetts Appellate Court Confirms Construction Defects are Not Covered Under Commercial General Liability Policies

Does a Sagging Floor Constitute a “Collapse”? Court Finds Ambiguity in “Collapse.”

Joshua Tumen and Paul Ferland | The Property Insurance Law Observer In Life Skills, Inc. v. Harleysville Insurance Company, 2024 WL 3792261 (D. Mass. 2024), the District Court of Massachusetts found that “collapse” provisions within a commercial property policy were ambiguous where a floor merely sagged without completely falling to the ground. Background The plaintiff-insured provided… Continue reading Does a Sagging Floor Constitute a “Collapse”? Court Finds Ambiguity in “Collapse.”

To Pay or Not to Pay “Rip and Tear” Damages

Martin Shaw and Kenneth Stallard | Carr Maloney Should a contractor’s Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance policy cover the expense of uncovering defective work causing damage to the owner’s property as well as the costs of exposing or accessing damaged building elements in need of repair as a result of the contractor’s defective work? For… Continue reading To Pay or Not to Pay “Rip and Tear” Damages

Water Alone is Not Property Damage under a CGL policy in Connecticut

Bill Wilson | Construction Law Zone The Connecticut Appellate Court recently provided guidance on what does not constitute property damage under a typical contractor’s Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance policy in Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County, Inc. v. Arbella Protection Ins. Co., 224 Conn App. 526 (2024). In this case, the contractor defended construction defect… Continue reading Water Alone is Not Property Damage under a CGL policy in Connecticut

Scheduling, Compliance, and Liaison Tasks under the Professional Services Exclusion

Kathy Maus and Samantha Wuschke | Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig Although a construction manager’s scheduling and liaison responsibilities do not require specialized training, such tasks may be sufficiently related to the actor’s other roles to be excluded from coverage under a liability policy’s Professional Services exclusion, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held.… Continue reading Scheduling, Compliance, and Liaison Tasks under the Professional Services Exclusion

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