Insurers Dispute Who Must Defend Additional Insured
Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/ghfcpVQv, see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gXhwbZjK and at https://lnkd.in/gvJHghHt, and https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4800 posts.
Post 4806
Other Insurance Clauses Control who Defends Whom
The Travelers and Defendant Ohio Security Insurance Company (“Ohio Security”) moved for summary judgment. In The Travelers v. Ohio Security No. 23-cv-3451 (AS), United States District Court, S.D. New York (May 10, 2024) the USDC resolved the disputes.
BACKGROUND
Ohio Security issued an insurance policy to Sutega USA Corp. (“Sutega”). Travelers sued seeking a declaratory judgment that, under the policy, Ohio Security has a duty to defend and indemnify Shawmut Design and Construction (“Shawmut”), Zara USA, Inc. (“Zara”), Eklecco Newco LLC (“Eklecco”), and Pyramid Management Group, LLC (“Pyramid”) in a state court lawsuit.
Construction Contracts
In 2015, Zara, Shawmut, and Sutega entered into several contracts related to the construction of a new Zara store in Palisades, New York. The contract states that Shawmut “shall supervise and direct the Work” and all parties included additional insured provisions and other insurance provisions.
Insurance Policies
The Travelers policy provided commercial general liability coverage subject to certain terms, conditions, and exclusions. The Travelers policy contains an amendment to the “other insurance” provision stating: “This insurance is excess over any of the other insurance, whether primary, excess, contingent or on any other basis, that is available to the insured when the insured is added as an additional insured under any other policy, including umbrella or excess policy.”
The Travelers Policy provides coverage to Zara, Eklecco, and Pyramid as additional insureds subject to certain terms and conditions. Ohio Security issued a commercial general liability policy to Sutega. The Ohio Security policy applied Sutega’s place of business is listed as an address in Miami, Florida. As relevant here, the policy states that Ohio Security has “the right and duty to defend the insured against any ‘suit’ seeking” damages for bodily injury.
The policy contains a Commercial General Liability Extension Endorsement that defines “insured” to include: “any person or organization whom you have agreed to add as an additional insured in a written contract.
The Ohio Security policy also contains an “other insurance” provision.
Underlying State Court Lawsuit
John Autenrieth was injured while using a table saw during the construction. Autenrieth sued Eklecco, Shawmut, Apollo, Pyramid, Zara, and Palisades Center, LLC in New York state court. Autenrieth alleges that the defendants breached their non-delegable duties under New York law to maintain a safe work environment.
Shawmut’s insurer, Travelers, alleged that Sutega’s insurer, Ohio Security, has a duty to defend and to indemnify Shawmut, Zara, Eklecco, and Pyramid in the state court action. Ohio Security denied that its policy covers these entities. The only disputed issue for the Court is whether Shawmut is covered by the Ohio Security policy. The answer is yes, at least as to Ohio Security’s duty to defend Shawmut.
DISCUSSION
For purposes of these motions, the Court found that no actual conflict exists. The only disputed issue is whether the Ohio Security policy covers Shawmut. Under both Florida and New York law, an insurer’s duty to defend is broad. The parties do not dispute that there is a written contract between Sutega and Shawmut. Therefore, Ohio Security has a duty to defend Shawmut in the underlying state court action pursuant to the policy issued to Sutega.
Primary Coverage
Shawmut is an additional insured under the Ohio Security policy in the underlying state court litigation. Neither party disputes that Shawmut also has insurance coverage as the named insured under the Travelers policy. The Travelers argued that Ohio Security is required to provide Shawmut coverage on a primary and non-contributory basis. Given the plain language of the insurance contracts and Ohio Security’s failure to respond, the Court agrees with Travelers.
ZALMA OPINION
The “other insurance” clauses in insurance policies often results in unnecessary disputes between insurers as to who, between multiple insurers who insure against the same risk of loss, must be first in line to defend or indemnify an insured. The court resolved one of those disputes in this case and told the various insurers and insureds to resolve any remaining issued. To answer the question as to Shawmut, Ohio is on first.
(c) 2024 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.
Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe or at at https://lnkd.in/gmmzUVBy
Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/c/c-262921; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg.
Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.
Go to X @bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://lnkd.in/gV9QJYH; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
The Largest Residential Burglary of All Time
Post 5407
Fraud & the Fear of Bad Faith Suits
Posted on July 22, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gWQQEySW and at https://lnkd.in/gyhdK6wv
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
After ...
Chutzpah is not Enough
Post 5397
Posted on July 20, 2026 by Barry Zalma
See the video and at https://lnkd.in/gNUs2XzT and at https://lnkd.in/g2MawyzX
Magistrate Issues a Search Warrant if there is a Fair Probability that Contraband or Evidence of a Crime will be Found in a Particular Place.
In United States Of America v. Frank Suess, et al., CRIMINAL No. 3:24-308, United States District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania (July 16, 2026) a federal grand jury indicted Frank Suess, Melissa Driscoll, and others in a 55-count health care fraud and anti-kickback prosecution arising from an alleged scheme involving medically unnecessary prescription “foot baths.”
As part of the investigation, the FBI obtained an August 19, 2022 warrant to search Driscoll’s Sterling Pharmacy Yahoo email account for emails from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Driscoll moved to suppress the resulting evidence, arguing that the warrant lacked probable cause, was overbroad, and rested on material misstatements and omissions.
LAW:
The ...
Fraud Shouldn’t Pay
Post 5396
See the video and at https://rumble.com/v7ctgmq-the-great-jewel-theft.html at https://youtu.be/aRbQ2sJfGwA
This is a Fictionalized True Crime Story of Insurance Fraud explaining why Insurance Fraud is a “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” situation for Insurers. The story is one of a collection designed to help to Understand How Insurance Fraud in America is Costing Everyone who Buys Insurance Thousands of Dollars Every year and Why Insurance Fraud is Safer and More Profitable for the ¬¬¬Perpetrators than any Other Crime.
The Insured purchased, for the first time in his life, a policy of Personal Articles Floater Insurance (PAF) scheduling $125,000 worth of ladies jewelry. He advised the insurer that the jewelry was always kept in a class E safe at his residence. He also told the insurer that he was employed full time as the owner of a gasoline service station and that he had never been canceled or suffered a previous loss.
One month after the policy was ...
Day Care Owner Loses Subsidies Because She Criticized State
Post 5421
Posted on August 11, 2026 by Barry Zalma
First Amendment Right Will be Allowed to Go to Trial
In Betsey J. Grant v. Maine State Department Of Heath And Human Services, No. 1:25-cv-00490-JAW, United States District Court, D. Maine (August 6, 2026), Betsey J. Grant, a licensed childcare provider and operator of Tiny Tikes Daycare in Trenton, Maine, sued Maine DHHS and several employees after she publicly criticized DHHS before Maine’s Government Oversight Committee and alleged that officials retaliated against her.
She claimed DHHS imposed and extended a conditional license, published stigmatizing information, interfered with subsidies and program funding, removed her from a food program, rescinded an expansion grant, and used biased or falsified evidence in licensing proceedings. Following the March 10, 2023, GOC testimony, Ms. Grant alleges that foster children's subsidies (approximately $30,000) were withheld; she was removed from the ...
Rescission for Material Misrepresentation
Post 5418
Posted on August 5, 2026 by Barry Zalma
An Insurer May Rescind An Insurance Policy Where The Applicant Made A Material Misrepresentation In The Application.
In Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. 844 Knickerbocker, LLC, et al. No. 2024-10359, Index No. 602824/22, 2026 NY Slip Op 04789, Supreme Court of New York, Second Department (July 29, 2026) Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company issued commercial insurance policies to 844 Knickerbocker, LLC, and Sanjaya Mallick based on applications stating that the insured property contained two apartment units. After an underlying personal injury action was filed, Union Mutual determined that the property actually contained three apartment units and rescinded the policies on the ground that the defendants had made a material misrepresentation in the applications.
LAW:
A misrepresentation is material if the insurer would not have issued the same policy, or would have issued it only on different terms, had the true ...
Rescission for Material Misrepresentation
Post 5418
Posted on August 5, 2026 by Barry Zalma
An Insurer May Rescind An Insurance Policy Where The Applicant Made A Material Misrepresentation In The Application.
In Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company v. 844 Knickerbocker, LLC, et al. No. 2024-10359, Index No. 602824/22, 2026 NY Slip Op 04789, Supreme Court of New York, Second Department (July 29, 2026) Union Mutual Fire Insurance Company issued commercial insurance policies to 844 Knickerbocker, LLC, and Sanjaya Mallick based on applications stating that the insured property contained two apartment units.
LAW:
A misrepresentation is material if the insurer would not have issued the same policy, or would have issued it only on different terms, had the true facts been disclosed. To establish materiality as a matter of law, the insurer must submit documentation of its underwriting practices, such as manuals, guidelines, bulletins, or rules addressing similar risks.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
As a result, the...
