Insights
Publications

Policyholders Should Resist Insurer Demands to Allocate Settlements

5/19/2015 Blog

Policyholders seeking insurance funds to settle a case often face an insurer’s demand that some amount should be allocated to uncovered claims or parties.  The issue arises often under directors and officers liability (D&O) policies, when settlements resolve the liability of covered directors and the uncovered company.  But general liability insurers also demand to “allocate” settlements, suggesting, for example, that half of the settlement is uncovered because the complaint alleges both negligent and intentional conduct.  Surprisingly, California courts have not clearly addressed the issue outside of the D&O context.  How should you respond? 

For D&O policies, courts first recognized the “larger settlement rule” in Harbor Ins. Co. v. Cont’l Bank Corp., 922 F.2d 357, 368 (7th Cir. 1990).  The question there was how to allocate a settlement between the potential liability of the covered directors and officers, and of the uncovered company.  The court held that the insurer is liable for the entire settlement, except for the amount, if any, by which the settlement was made larger because of claims against uninsured parties.  In other words, if the same dollars were paid to settle the potential liability of both, those dollars must be allocated to the covered claims against the directors and officers.

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the larger settlement rule in Nordstrom, Inc. v. Chubb & Sons, Inc., 54 F.3d 1424, 1433 (9th Cir. 1995) (Washington law); and Safeway Stores, Inc. v. Nat’l Union Fire Ins. Co., 64 F.3d 1282, 1287 88 (9th Cir. 1995) (California law).

Read the full blog post: Policyholders Should Resist Insurer Demands to Allocate Settlements

Firm Highlights

Event

The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions

Join Carly Alameda and Amy Briggs for the ACC Bay Area Chapter program "The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions."  Corporate counsel are often tasked with negotiating, finalizing, and managing...

Read More
Publication

A Promise To Pay Is Just That: Two Courts Reject Insurers’ Bids To Escape Their Coverage Obligations by Complaining About Third Party Recoveries or Reductions in Liabilities

An insurer in Washington could not eliminate its coverage obligation based on its insured’s recovery from a third party.  T-Mobile USA, Inc. v. Steadfast Ins. Co., et al ., No. 82704-9-I, 2022 WL 17246715...

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Recognized in Benchmark Litigation 2023

Farella Braun + Martel continues to be ranked among the top litigation firms in California in the  Benchmark Litigation  2023 guide. Farella was ranked “Highly Recommended” for Dispute Resolution in California and earned a...

Read More
News

Farella Braun + Martel Earns 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" Rankings

Read More
Event

The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions

Join Carly Alameda and Amy Briggs in the discussion on "The Fine Print: A Litigator’s Perspective on Boilerplate Contract and Insurance Provisions" to the ACC Bay Area Chapter. Corporate counsel are often tasked with negotiating...

Read More
Publication

Nonprofit Basics: Insurance Coverage for the New Nonprofit

Welcome to EO Radio Show – Your Nonprofit Legal Resource . Risk management for a nonprofit starts with good governance, effective management and appropriate policies for employment practices, conflicts of interest and financial management...

Read More
Publication

Fire Preparedness for Vineyards and Wineries

Winter, spring, summer, fire season, and fall – as Californians, we have all become accustomed to a fifth season – fire season. Even worse, fire season was once confined to just a few months...

Read More
Publication

More Stringent California Claim Law Could Benefit Policyholders

To combat a perceived litigation tactic by plaintiffs counsel of using settlement demands within policy limits to set up insurers for bad faith, insurance company associations lobbied for statutory clarification to avoid uncertainty around...

Read More
Publication

Maximizing Your Insurance Coverage for Data Privacy Liability

With news of massive data breaches making headlines in recent years, the handling of personal data has become a focus for legislators and regulators around the world. Compliance with data privacy regulations such as the...

Read More
Publication

Using Multi-Factor Authentication as a Prerequisite to Cyber Liability Coverage

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is more than an annoying popup or text message when logging onto a company’s website or platform. Not only is using MFA a sound security practice and good business, it is frequently...

Read More